


Rebel, Rebel

by chiefharbour



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 1960s, 60s, Angst, Cheerleaders, Crushes, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, High School, Slow Build, Slow Burn, bad boy, teen!Hopper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:14:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22056118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiefharbour/pseuds/chiefharbour
Summary: You're the co-captain of the Tigerettes, in a relationship with the quarterback of the Tigers, and have your entire senior year ahead of you, but your feelings for your next-door neighbor and resident bad boy may change things up a little bit.A teen!Hopper and fem!Reader story.Chapters are a mix of T, M, and E (18+). Explicit rating will be in the beginning of the chapter.
Relationships: Jim "Chief" Hopper & Original Female Character(s), Jim "Chief" Hopper & Reader, Jim "Chief" Hopper & You, Jim "Chief" Hopper/Original Character(s), Jim "Chief" Hopper/Original Female Character(s), Jim "Chief" Hopper/Reader, Jim "Chief" Hopper/You
Comments: 15
Kudos: 58





	1. Under the Bleachers

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Oh my gosh, look who finally posted that multi-chapter fic she’s been on about for months? I hope you guys like it. Please keep in mind that in this universe, I have to bend the rules a little bit, but, for all sakes and purposes, it takes place in the 60s. Also, Hopper and Reader are both 18+, and there is eventual smut planned for a future chapter. I hope you guys like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ~Robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being on the Tigerettes for three years, you’re starting to become sick of the cheerleading team. Taking a break from the game, you join your next-door neighbor and resident bad boy under the bleachers.

The crowd roared loudly as you lost yourself in your thoughts, continuing to smack your blue and white pom poms together habitually. Your ears began to ring as you looked past the field of hulking teenagers in football uniforms running into each other. It was the second Friday of September, the very first football game of the season for Hawkins High School. While you would much rather be at home watching the latest episode of _The Twilight Zone_ , you were forced to fulfill your duties here as the co-captain of the Tigerettes. 

You rolled your eyes as the routine wrapped itself up, the concept of being here causing frustration to course through your veins. While you had been on the cheerleading team since freshman year, you couldn’t deny that your willingness to participate had drastically decreased now that you were a senior. If you were being completely honest with yourself, the only reason that you were still here was for the scholarship you were hoping to snag at Indiana State. 

You huffed out an annoyed breath when you heard a familiar whistle blow, indicating that the Tigers fumbled yet another ball. With one quarter left in the game, you were pretty certain that you would be cheering for the losing team tonight, which didn’t come as a shock given the team’s track record. The Hawkins High Tigers were probably the worst team in the state, and you would be willing to bet any amount of money that they would continue to lose as the season progressed.

Despite the fact that the football team was an embarrassment state-wide, they still reigned as the leaders of the food chain within the tiny walls of Hawkins High. Your relationship with Larry, the quarterback, made you a part of one of the most powerful couples in school. Though you weren’t exactly in love with Larry, you knew that being with him was what was best for your social life. You enjoyed the security blanket that your status gave you, which is why you put up with cheering every week for a team that would always lose.

“ _Oi!_ ” screeched your counterpart, Chrissy. “You need to get your head out of your ass and focus.”

You looked over at her with narrowed eyes, a stare that could probably cut glass if you tried hard enough, and crossed your arms defiantly, “Why does it matter? I’m doing the routine, aren’t I, Carpenter?”

Your co-captain rolled her eyes, her hands resting on her hips, “You’re setting a poor example for the underclassmen.”

You scoffed before mirroring her body language with a cynical glare, “We are _forty_ points down in the last quarter of the game. _Give_. _It_. _A_. _Rest_.”

“If you have a problem, you can leave early and leave me in charge,” she seethed, tightening her bottle-blonde hair, which rested in a high ponytail at the crown of her head.

No matter how much you hated cheering, you hated the idea of leaving Queen Bitch Supreme in charge even more. You sighed, throwing your poms down at her feet, “Just give me like five minutes, okay? I’ll pull it together.”

“Fine,” she sighed, kicking your poms to the side as she pushed you out of the way.

Chrissy Carpenter was probably the most annoying person you had the displeasure of meeting. If there was ever a stereotypical definition of a bitchy cheerleader, Chrissy would meet the bill tenfold. She came from a relatively rich family at the end of the cul de sac, and she was about as perfect as cookie-cutter robots came. It made your skin boil.

You walked in between the two sets of bleachers to cool yourself off, dragging your white sneakers along the dirt as you attempted to regain your sanity. You only had one more year left of this, and it didn’t do you any good constantly complaining about it. It’s not like you would ever have the gall to quit, especially not after the three years you spent committed to the team.

You rested your hand behind your neck as you leaned against the nearest silver beam. You opened your eyes as the familiar scent of Lucky Strikes wafted past your nose, sending calming waves through your body. You would never usually smoke in your uniform, but desperate times, right? Surely whoever was smoking wouldn’t mind you bumming one off of them, right?

You followed the billowing smoke and orange light of the butt and smiled once you turned the corner, seeing a familiar figure crouched underneath the seats of the bleachers. There sat Jim Hopper, your next-door neighbor of ten years and resident bad boy of Hawkins High. He was also the love of your life.

His face perked up when you cleared your throat, chucking when you saw him fumble with the cigarette in between his fingers. You walked up to him coyly and motioned to the KLH portable that was currently playing the _Aftermath_ vinyl lowly through its speakers.

“Nothing like a little Stones to get you through the big game, huh?” you teased, kicking his boot with a smile.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Hopper whistled, exhaling a puff of smoke in your direction with a smirk. “Game over already?”

You bit your bottom lip before deciding to sit next to him, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and placing it between your lips, “Might as well be. What are you doing here?”

“Pops wanted me to get involved with ‘school spirit’,” he said in air quotations, looking over at you with a deadpan expression. “He doesn’t need to know that I spent it under here.”

“Your secret’s safe with me, Hop,” you smirked, winking at him.

He raised his eyebrows at you with parted lips before reaching into his leather jacket pocket for his pack of cigs, replacing the one you had just stolen from him, “So, what brings Captain Cheerleader to my neck of the woods?”

“Chrissy is a bothersome little twat, that’s what,” you rolled your eyes, inhaling the smoke deeply before flicking the dangling butt into the dirt besides you. “Christ, I cannot wait until graduation.”

He looked over at you with a chuckle as he lit the stick between his fingers, “(Y/N), we go through this at least twice a week. Why do you keep putting yourself through this?”

You looked over at him with soft eyes, feeling guilty that this was probably the hundreth conversation that you had with him about this. Hopper was always there for you when you needed to rant about your predicament, though it usually happened in your childhood treehouse in your backyard.

“You know why,” you sighed, pulling your legs up into your chest. 

And he did. He knew that your family wasn’t that well-off, and you going to college was dependent on whatever scholarships you could get. He narrowed a smile in your direction, inhaling smoke before you nudged his shoulder.

“Besides,” you grinned. “I enjoy not having to worry about getting my ass shoved in a locker.”

He chuckled, smoke coming out in spurts as his blue eyes bore into yours, “I would never let anyone shove you in a locker, dollface. I’d kick the shit out of them before they’d ever get the chance.”

You blushed lightly, thankful for the darkness that shrouded the both of you save for the orange lights at the end of your lit cigarettes. You and Hopper had been close friends since elementary school, but you always had a tiny crush on him, never missing an opportunity to flirt with him. After he went through puberty, you felt the attraction that you had towards him strengthen. He towered over you, muscles straining in whatever clothing he decided to wear under that _damn_ tight leather jacket. He reeked of sex appeal, his bad-boy status only making you that much more like putty in his hands. There were many nights where you dreamed that he would climb up to your window, sneak inside, and have his way with you. But that would never happen.

He was Jim Hopper, resident bad-ass with a heart of gold and a secret penchant for history (though he concealed his intelligence through his frequent skipping of class). Though you wanted to be with him more than anything in the world, you knew that your relationship with Larry was what was best for you right now. It was a safe option. It kept you safe.

_But Jim could keep you safe._

You shook your head free of the thoughts that clouded your mind before you coughed a tiny bit, Hopper chuckling as he tilted his head in your direction with a smile.

“Besides,” he continued, leaning back on his palms. “Social lives are pointless. I don’t have one, and I turned out just fine.”

 _Yeah_ , you thought. _Damn fine_.

“Well,” you blushed, the cigarette in your hand now burning down to its filter. “I should probably get back. We wouldn’t want Chrissy getting her granny panties in a twist, would we?”

“We can’t have that,” he laughed, his eyes raking over your face before landing on your pink lips.

You gasped at the intensity in his eyes before you stood up abruptly, tossing what was left of the nicotine on the ground and stomping it out with your sneaker. You smoothed down your pleated skirt and looked down at Hopper with a raised eyebrow, “How do I look?”

“Damn cute,” he teased, biting his lip as his eyes landed on the skin between your skirt’s hem and knee.

You rolled your eyes, stomach in knots, before leaning down and pushing his shoulder, “I’ll see you around, Hop.”

“See ya, doll,” he waved, watching your fleeting figure as you walked away from him.

Hopper never failed to make you feel instantaneously better, but, as soon as you returned to the field, the happiness and comfort that flooded your head quickly turned to distaste and aggravation upon seeing Chrissy’s judgmental stare on you.

“You smell like a fucking bar,” she hissed at you.

“I have zero idea what you’re referring to, Carpenter,” you grinned fakely, picking up your poms before looking at the team. “Let’s go!”

Chrissy huffed at you before she returned to her position next to you, following your lead in the routine you began. After performing a pyramid stunt, you found Larry’s eyes locking with yours, him throwing a kiss in your direction before he hiked the ball.

Larry was a kind enough guy; he always treated you like royalty, he came from a caring family, and he wasn’t that bad of a kisser. You two had been together since losing your virginities to each other at Junior Prom, and he’s held you on his arm like a badge of honor ever since. He was truly a sweetheart, no matter how dense he could be. But you knew that you could never love him the way that he loved you, and it made you sick to know that you were stringing him along. 

Of course Larry had thrown the ball and missed his target as the timer ran out, indicating that they were, in fact, losers. The Tigerettes performed a final cheer chanting that they were proud of the team, but you felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. 

Larry jogged over to you with a wide grin, his sweaty blonde hair falling in his face as he removed his helmet. He pulled your body against his and kissed you fiercely on the lips. You kissed him back, wincing slightly at the light sheen of sweat that covered his face.

“You look so _good_ in this uniform,” he groaned against your mouth before you parted from him quickly.

“You did great, sweetheart,” you lied, pressing a quick peck to his cheek

“Thank you,” he smiled, hugging you tightly before swatting your bottom playfully. “You’re coming over tonight, right?”

You nodded curtly, knowing that Larry had the house to himself this weekend and was planning on throwing a party for the start of the school year, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, babe.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead with a grin before running off to his teammates as they returned to the locker rooms. You watched him as he jogged off, sighing in defeat when he turned around from you. You frowned, returning to the bleachers for your duffle bag. As you began to pack up your things, you felt another body sit down next to yours.

“You going to that party later?” asked Karen, filling her bag, as well.

“I kind of have to, don’t I?” you asked, laughing as you zipped your bag up.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, knowing that you were upset. She always knew.

“Nothing,” you said, looking down at your lap. “It’s just...do you think that any of this is going to matter in five years?”

“Of course not,” she said matter-of-factly. She put her hands on her hips as a knowing smile planted on her lips, “It’s Jim, isn’t it?”

You widened your eyes, looking around to make sure that no one heard her, “ _Jesus_ , Karen. Keep your voice down.”

She smirked at you, patting your back as you looked away from her, “Why don’t you invite him over?”

You chuckled, tightening your ponytail, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“It’s not going to matter in five years,” she repeated, looking at you smugly.

“He probably won’t even come,” you said, shaking your head.

“You never know,” she sang playfully. “Look, you and I both know that Larry is going to get a hold of that keg and be drunk off of his ass an hour into the party.”

She sighed and stood up, looking down at you as she put her bag over her shoulder, “I just think that if you’re going to be there the whole night, you might as well spend it talking with someone you don’t hate.”

You smirked, a sudden confidence building in your chest, “You’re right.”

“I know I am,” she said, turning away before looking over her shoulder. “I’m going home to change, but I’ll see you later.”

You waved at her as she headed to her car, leaving you alone to your thoughts. Without thinking too much into it, you grabbed your bag and returned under the bleachers, sighing in relief when you saw that Hopper was still there, now gathering his things to leave.

“Hey! Hop!” you shouted, jogging over to him with a smile.

He beamed at you upon seeing you, picking up his portable and tossing his cigarette on the ground, “What’s up, doll?”

“I was wondering...” you trailed off, looking at your feet as your nerves began to build. “W-Why don’t you come to Larry’s later?”

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as you continued, “He’s having a party, you know something for the start of the new year and all that. I just wanted to see if you would want to come.”

He smiled at you, pursing his lips in thought, “ _Maybe_.”

Your smile widened as you bounced on the balls of your feet, “Okay! Um...let me give you the address.”

You reached into your bag for a pen and walked up to Hopper before grabbing his hand, your body warming as your fingers touched his significantly larger ones. You began to scribble the address onto his palm before looking up into his eyes, your breath catching in your throat, “Y-You know Callahan’s place?”

He nodded, his eyes never leaving yours, “Larry lives a few houses over, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you breathed out, your face only inches away from his. You bit your lip and put some space in between you. “I’ll be on the lookout for you. Don’t disappoint, Jim!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, doll,” he called out as he walked towards his motorbike which was parked near the field.

You sighed, watching him walk away with a dopey grin. _You had it bad_.

You looked around before walking to Larry’s car, waiting for him to return from the lockers so he could bring you to his house. You mind raced as thoughts of Hopper filled your head. The possibility of spending the night talking with him made your heart beat out of your chest. He had such a strong effect on you, and you weren’t even dating. 

You knew it would just be a friendly hang-out between the both of you, but there was a tiny part of you that hoped that he would make a move.


	2. Kegs & Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopper keeps you company at the party, and you invite him back to your treehouse before the night comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really proud of this little passion project here; I haven’t been this excited about writing in a fic in a hot second. I’m not too sure how I want to schedule the parts of this fic, so I’m going to try to post maybe 1-2 installments per week, while also sprinkling in some prompts here and there. I really enjoy fulfilling prompts, so if there’s something you’d like to see (Hopper x fem!Reader or Jopper), feel free to shoot me a request on my tumblr! ~Robin

You sighed heavily as you looked down at your wristwatch, the hands ticking idly by along to the music that blared from Larry’s sound system. It had been two hours since the party started, yet there was still no sign of Jim. You were starting to think that he wouldn’t show up, but could you blame him? You probably hated gatherings like these even more than he did. There was a tiny part of you that had hoped that you would be spending the night talking to Hopper, and embarrassment spread through your body at the thought that he had stood you up. Maybe you shouldn’t have invited him; it probably made you look like a dumb ass. Of course he wouldn’t come. He saw through all of this, and, in a way, you were incredibly envious of him.

Your head shot up at the sound of cheering, your gaze drifting to your boyfriend who was currently funneling beer from a silver keg, wobbling slightly as he attempted to regain his posture. You fought the urge to roll your eyes, instead looking around in desperation to find someone to talk to. Karen had left around an hour ago, and you would rather continue being bored out of your mind than spark a conversation with Chrissy, who was currently flirting with one of the linebackers in Larry’s living room. 

Finally coming to terms with the fact that you would be spending the rest of the night alone, you toed off your slightly-worn-out Converse and approached the in-ground swimming pool nestled in the center of the backyard. You bent over slightly to roll your light-wash jeans up mid-calf before you dipped your toes in the pool, wincing at the sudden change in temperature against your skin. You slowly submerged your legs into the water, sitting on the edge of the pool and wading your feet in the ripples as you got lost in your own reflection. Some song from The Beatles began to roar through the backyard and you allowed yourself to close your eyes, swaying back and forth to the melody of _Can’t Buy Me Love_. While you had always fancied yourself a Rolling Stones or Kinks girl, you knew that given the population here at the party, that would never be an option.

You slowly opened your eyes, jumping when you saw another reflection towering behind you. You turned around and your shock quickly transformed into a wide grin upon seeing Hopper’s figure loom above you. He chuckled, handing you one of two bottles of Guinness that he had brought from home. You smiled up at him, gratefully accepting the bottle of liquor and motioning for him to sit next to you.

“Color me shocked,” you teased, looking over at him as he sat down next to you, his back facing the pool so he didn’t have to take off his boots. “I didn’t think you would come.”

“I told you I wouldn’t disappoint you,” he winked, popping the cap off of the bottle with ease. “Plus, what kind of friend would I be if I just left you here to sulk alone?”

Following his actions, you brought your own bottle to the edge of the pool and removed the cap, “You trying to get me drunk, Hopper?”

He chuckled, shaking his head as he tapped his bottle against yours, “I wouldn’t let you get drunk, princess. One beer’s never hurt anyone before.”

You smiled at him before bringing the bottle to your lips, sipping the liquid and wincing as the bitter flavor coated your tongue, “ _This tastes like ass!_ ”

“Oh?” he asked with a raised eyebrow before taking another thick gulp of the beverage. “I didn’t think you ate ass, (Y/L/N).”

You choked on the beer as you tried to take another sip, punching him in the shoulder with a scandalized look on your face, “You’re so dirty! Get your mind out of the gutter.”

He chuckled as you continued, “I don’t know how you can possibly drink this shit.”

“I tend to look past the flavor and focus on how it makes me feel,” he said, examining the bottle in his hands. “It makes parties like this just a tad more bearable.”

“Thank you,” you smiled, placing your bottle between the both of your bodies. “You know, for coming. I was starting to get a little lonely. Larry’s been-”

“-an asshole?” he interrupted, sipping from the bottle as he motioned towards your boyfriend, who was currently throwing up in the nearest shrubbery. “I swear, (Y/N), if I had you on my arm, I would _never_ let you feel lonely.”

You looked down at your lap as you bit the inside of your cheek, inwardly agreeing with him before you decided to change the subject, “So…I didn’t see you in Physics yesterday.”

“You never see me in Physics,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Class is for squares.”

“Are you calling me a square?” you teased, narrowing your eyes at him.

“No way,” he cooed. “You’re _out of sight_ , doll.”

You blushed as he stared at you. You leaned over and reached into the pool, splashing water towards him with a giggle. His mouth parted with a breathless laugh before he narrowed his eyes at you, “You’re lucky you’re so cute, or else I would splash your ass back.”

You chuckled before removing your feet from the water, turning your body so that you faced him, “You skip class a lot.”

“Nice observation,” he said, tipping his bottle in your direction. “I don’t know. I guess I just don’t think that I’m going to need any of this after graduation.”

“You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for,” you said, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, massaging it gently as he looked up at you.

“I know,” he said smugly, tilting his head sideways as he took another sip. “I’ve actually been thinking about enlisting.”

“Enlisting…?” you asked, frozen in place.

“Yeah, you know, ‘nam?” he asked, motioning to the air. “I think I would be really good at it.”

“Oh,” you said, disappointment evident in your voice. 

“I’m not entirely sure about it, though,” he sighed, rubbing a hand behind his neck. “It’s a little scary, but…I don’t really feel like I have a lot of options here in Hawkins, you know?”

You sighed, knowing his concerns like they were your own. “No, I-I get it. But…the army, Hopper? I don’t know if I can go that long without seeing you.”

“Me, neither,” he reassured you, taking his hand and resting it on your knee. In a desperate plea to change the subject, he motioned to your outfit, “I really like this look you got going on.”

“Oh?” you smirked, grateful for the shift in topic. “It’s a little edgy, but I really like it.”

“It looks good on you,” he smiled. “ _You_ look good.” You blushed as he continued, “Not as good as me, but, still, a valiant effort on your part.”

You groaned out a laugh and rolled your eyes, “Well, maybe one day I’ll get lucky and surpass your attractiveness, Jim.”

His laughter faltered as he looked over your face, eyes landing on your lips, “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

The intensity in his eyes caused your heart to swell in your chest, goosebumps forming on your arms and legs as your stomach filled with butterflies. While the two of you had always playfully flirted with one another (albeit a little too much), Hopper’s intentions seemed different than just a little bit of light-hearted banter. There was something hidden behind Hopper’s motivations, the look in his eyes making you weak in the knees.

“ _(Y/N)!_ ” slurred Larry as he stumbled behind you, leaning on one of his team mate’s shoulders.

Both you and Hopper had turned around, a chuckle escaping your lips as you saw just how far gone Larry was, his hair a mess and his shirt somehow missing since the last time that you saw him.

“ _You_ should sleep over,” said Larry with a smirk, waggling his eyebrows suggestively as he pushed off of his friend. “’Don’t think it’s safe for me to drive right now.”

“I’ll drive her home,” Hopper interjected, his voice deep and serious as his mouth tightened in a straight line.

“Losers like _you_ don’t drive girls like _her_ home,” he replied, now eye-level with Hopper, the smell of cheap beer wafting from his mouth. “Jus’ ‘cus you wear that dumb jacket and smoke a pack a day doesn’t make you hot shit.”

“Bite me, Kline,” Hopper replied, seemingly unfazed by his words as he took another gulp of Guinness.

“Larry,” you spoke up, bringing your hand up to cup his cheek so that he looked at you, now forgetting that Hopper was even there as a dopey grin spread along his face. “It’s okay. Jim lives right next door, you know that.”

Hopper shot a glare behind Larry’s head that was so sharp it could have cut glass, downing the rest of his liquor before tossing the empty bottle into the pool.

“Okay, baby,” Larry smirked, leaning in to kiss your lips but landing on your cheek as you turned your face at the last second.

“Get some sleep, babe,” you whispered, rubbing his shoulder and looking away from him as the smell on him was beginning to make you nauseous. 

Larry stood up, his balance off as he eyed Hopper with as much intimidation that he could muster, coming off more ridiculous than threatening. As he walked back into his house, you realized that the party had officially concluded, you and Hopper being the only people left in the yard.

“You sure you don’t mind driving me?” you asked apologetically.

“Not at all,” he said before standing up and offering you his hand. “You’re lucky I carry a spare helmet.”

You chuckled and reached up to grab his hand before he hauled you up. You motioned for Hopper to walk in front of you, “Lead the way.”

He smiled at you and turned around, walking leisurely around Larry’s house. You couldn’t help but admire his backside with a glint in your eye. You always loved the way that jacket clung to his back, his muscles practically rippling under the leather fabric with each step he took. It made your knees turn to jelly and your head spin.

He led you to the front where his red motorbike sat perched on a curb near the mailbox. He reached into the bag that was attached to the back of the bike and handed you a navy blue helmet before putting his black one on. He swung his leg over and motioned for you to get behind him, which you did with a grin. You straddled the seat, wrapping your arms around his broad chest as you pressed your lower half up against him. As the engine roared to life, you felt warmth travel between your legs at the feeling of his outer thighs pressed against your inner thighs, causing you to tremble with the motor. He was so large, and all you wanted to do was wrap yourself around his his front-side just as closely.

He kicked off of the ground and the two of you zoomed down the street, the wind hitting his chest and protecting your face. You rested your cheek against his shoulder blade, your hands gripping onto his hard chest. You breathed in deeply, the scent of cigarettes and cologne filling your nostrils and making you to relax against him. You found yourself getting lost in his essence, and, before you knew it, the both of you had pulled into Hopper’s driveway.

He threw his leg back over the bike and stood on the side as he took off his helmet, threading his fingers through his dark-blonde locks. You gulped at the site before repeating his actions, handing him the helmet as you stood next to him. You looked around nervously, fiddling with them hem of your white tee-shirt as he put the hats back. 

“Do you wanna come up?” you asked, motioning to the treehouse that peeked out from your backyard.

Hopper smiled and nodded his head, following you as you walked over to the fence, pulling your body weight up and over the wood. Hopper followed suit, landing on the grass with the hard thud of his boots. You took his hand and lead him to the large oak tree, releasing your grasp before you climbed up the ladder that led inside.

Once you entered the clubhouse, you immediately fell into the make-shift bed of pillows in the corner as you waited for Hopper. Once he peeked his head through the opening, you beamed at him. A light sheen of sweat adorned his forehead as climbing was never a forte of his.

He stood in front of you after hoisting himself up and you shivered as you looked up at him. Mistaking your arousal for discomfort, he immediately shrugged his jacket off before placing it over your shoulders. Your lips parted as you admired the way that his tight white tee-shirt clung to his broad chest and muscular arms; you feared that the material could rip at any second, and you weren’t sure how you would react.

You swallowed audibly before you slid your arms into the sleeves of the large jacket. He sat himself down next to you before placing his hands behind his head. You looked over at him, your mouth practically salivating, wanting nothing more than to rub your hands over his torso.

“You okay?” he asked, narrowing his eyes in concern.

“Y-Yeah!” you yelped, clinging onto the jacket. “I just can’t remember the last time that I’ve seen you without this jacket on.”

He chuckled, leaning forward and pulling his legs up so that he could wrap his arms around his knees, “It’s kind of become my safety blanket, hasn’t it?”

You felt the corner of your mouth turn up into a smile, realizing that it was his way of telling you that he felt safe around you, “It’s kind of a shame to hide all of that, don’t you think?”

For the first time in a long time, you saw Hopper’s cheeks heat up before he fumbled in his jean pockets for his box of cigarettes. He pulled a stick out of the carton before lighting it in between his lips, taking a hit before extending his hand for you to take it. You leaned over, sucking in the smoke as it remained between his thumb and forefinger, blowing out the smoke softly against his skin.

“You’re not a loser, you know that, right?” you asked, Larry’s words continuing to haunt your thoughts. “He was just drunk. He didn’t mean it.”

“He did, but it’s okay,” he chuckled, shrugging his shoulder before placing the cigarette at the corner of his mouth. “I embrace my loser status.”

You pulled your body closer to his and rested your head against his shoulder, enjoying the steady rise and fall of his upper chest as he breathed, “You’re not. You’re probably the only person that I know who is going to do amazing things.”

“I’m not the only one. What about you?” he asked, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and pulling you tightly into his chest. “You’re the one who’s probably going to become president one day.”

“President?” you asked incredulously. “I don’t know about all of that.”

“I’m serious!” he said, pulling away to look at you, his hand now resting on your thigh. “You’re intelligent, funny, sweet, caring, _damn_ foxy…and, well, you’re perfect.”

You released a shaky breath, looking away in embarrassment, “You’re such a flirt.”

“You like it, though,” he cooed, stating it as a fact more than a question. His eyes fell to your lips and you felt your breath hitch in your throat.

You began to feel your resolve break down, the desire to pull him against your mouth becoming stronger as the air surrounding you became thicker. Your heart raced and your stomach began to do flips as you felt his body lean in closer. He brought his face down to yours slowly, his nose bumping against yours. You exhaled a staggered breath, allowing your eyes to flutter closed as you leaned towards the warmth of his embrace. Just as your lips were about to brush against one another, you were jolted out of your trance from the sound of your dog barking below the treehouse, trying in vain to climb up the bark of the tree.

You snapped out of it and crawled over to the hole, attempting to hush Benjie with wild and erratic hand movements. Once he quieted down and returned inside through the dog door, you sighed in relief, hoping that his barks didn’t wake your parents up. You turned around with an apologetic look, Hopper’s eyes downcast and mouth parted in shock.

“I-I should probably go inside,” you stuttered, removing his jacket before handing it back to him with a shaking hand. 

“Yeah,” he said, holding the jacket as he stood up.

You looked up at him with a tight smile before climbing down the ladder, cursing yourself for not staying up there longer with him. While every part of you wanted to have your way with him in that treehouse, you knew that it would be crossing a line you couldn’t return from. Once you reached the grass, you waited for him to join you as he put his jacket back on and looked at you awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, Jim,” you whispered before reaching up on the tip of your toes to press a friendly peck to his cheek. You rubbed his shoulder with a smile as the blush returned to his cheeks.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” he asked, slight giddiness lacing his voice at the idea of seeing you in the morning.

“You mean you’ll finally come to class?” you asked with a raised eyebrow.

“For you?” he asked, putting his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Anything.”

You bit your lip as you backed away from him, “Goodnight, Hopper.”

“Sweet dreams, doll,” he called out before walking over and hopping the fence once more, now falling to the ground with an even louder thud as his body came in contact with the grass.

You laughed before shaking your head, walking through your back door quietly in an attempt to sneak inside. Thankfully, all of the lights remained off and your parents were still asleep in their room. You climbed up the stairs quickly before entering your room, quietly shutting the door behind you.

You clicked the light on and began to put on your pajamas, your eyes drifting to the framed picture of you and Hopper at your eighth birthday party on top of your dresser. His arms were wrapped around your shoulders as he pressed a kiss to your cheek, your face contorted in disgust at the prospect of him having cooties. You chuckled before placing the picture down on your nightstand. 

You rested yourself in your bed and looked up at the ceiling, a tear streaming down your cheek as you realized that you couldn’t keep doing this anymore. You needed to rein in the flirtatious behavior between the both of you. You wanted more than anything for him to be happy, and, despite how much you loved him, you didn’t want to hurt him. You couldn’t be with him.

…right?


	3. The Shed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After you have a particularly vivid dream about Hopper, you find it harder to resist his charm.
> 
> Chapter Rating: M for Wet Dreams & Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know…this is a very, very slow burn in terms of like how fast the two main characters get together. But I promise that the end result is going to be worth it (at least I think so). I decided to add a little something spicy to this one, so I hope you like it!

_Rough hands. Teeth. Moving lips. The warmth of his mouth. The wetness of his tongue._

_The sensations of his touch rippled through your body, his hands caressing the bare flesh of your lower stomach. You reached down to thread your fingers through the locks of his hair as his head bobbed up and down, his tongue moving sinfully against the velvet skin of your center. You arched your back as you began to pull him closer to you, panting heavily into the surroundings of your bedroom; the only sounds present were the whimpers coming from your mouth, the grumbles emitting from his broad and bare chest, and the filthy noises created between your bodies._

_“H-Hopper, please,” you whined in a high-pitch tone, praying to him as if you were singing a gospel song.  
_

_He looked up at you under hooded and lust-filled eyes, his bare shoulders flexing as his grip on your waist tightened, the movement of his tongue quickening to push you over the edge. You looked into the deep-blue orbs of his eyes, and that was all it took for you to fall apart underneath him. Every muscle in your body seemed to unwind as his ministrations failed to cease. You screamed his name out, your eyes rolling to the back of your head as the thrusts of your hips became erratic against the warmth of his mouth._

_“Oh, fu-”  
_

You woke up with sweat peppering your forehead, you breathing escaping your chest erratically as you attempted to untangle your buzzing body from the confines of your baby blue sheets. The borderline realistic dream made it difficult for you to transition back into the real world. You looked around hastily in search of the familiar body that occupied your dreams, but you did so in vain. Every nerve in your body felt aflame, the sensations transcending into your reality as you came down from your high. Your cheeks reddened as you felt the damp and clammy material of your sheets stick to your upper thighs. You looked over at your clock and cursed under your breath, realizing that you were running thirty minutes behind; class began in twenty minutes, and you knew you were going to be painfully late.

You swung the duvet over your body and began your haste to get ready, opting to slide on a skirt and long-sleeve shirt rather than the pressed and neat ensemble of your cheerleading uniform. You flew down the stairs, ignoring your mother’s pleas for you to sit down and eat breakfast as you ran outside, your straight, uncombed hair flowing after you as you jumped into your car and raced to school.

You pulled into the senior lot in a rush, the tires of your DeSoto Firedome screeching against the hardened and cracked black tar of the pavement. Grabbing your backpack, you jogged lightly into the building, adjusting your high-waisted black corduroy skirt. The sound of the platforms of your Mary Jane’s clacked against the linoleum tiles of the hallway as you sped down the corridor. Just as you reached to grab the handle of the door leading to your class, you felt a large hand clasp your upper arm.

You yelped in surprise before turning around, eyes narrowing and cheeks blushing when you discovered that the hand belonged to Hopper, “ _J-Jim!_ Don’t scare me like that-!”

He brought a finger up to his lips in an attempt to quiet you. After looking around, you crossed your arms uncomfortably before raising an eyebrow at him, “I thought you were going to class.”

“Well, after the bell rang and you didn’t show up, I snuck out the back,” he whispered, reaching for your hand. “Cut class with me?”

While every brain cell in your head screamed at you to deny his request, you couldn’t help but melt when you saw the smug smile spread across his lips, making your heart to do cartwheels in your chest. Your mind drifted to your dream and reminded you of all the things that mouth did to you. You bit your bottom lip, reluctantly nodding your head in a trance. His grin widened, the blues of his eyes sparkling like the deepest of lake water under the fluorescent lights of the hallway. You sighed dreamily as you looked into them.

He dragged you out of the school doors, your hand still firmly grasped in his larger one. He moved methodically, the precision of his steps and lines of vision like that of a spy in a high-stakes mission.

After leading you down a narrow path behind the football field, he brought you to a beaten-up brown shed, the shingles of which appeared to have seen the likes of a tornado. He approached the door and released his grip on your hand, swinging the broken lock open to grant you both entry.

Following him inside, you looked around in awe as the interior of the shed appeared much cozier than what the outside promised it to be. You smirked when you noticed two ashtrays filled with discarded cigarette butts and a light brown victrola placed in the corner of the shed. It appeared that Hopper had built himself a tiny home here.

“You come here often?” you teased, setting your bag down by the door before fiddling with the hem of your skirt nervously.

“Trying to hit on me?” he teased back, the tip of his tongue darting out to lick along his bottom lip.

You chuckled anxiously, you fingers absentmindedly curling a lock of your hair around them as heat rose to the skin of your cheeks, avoiding his gaze.

He closed the door quietly before propping a shovel against it in an attempt to lock it. He fisted his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he continued to look at you, “I can’t believe it.”

“W-What?” you stuttered with wide eyes, fearing that you were showing more emotion than you wanted to.

“I got Little Miss Perfect to skip class,” he said, a smug grin plastered on his face as he leaned against the wall of the shed.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” you scoffed, sitting down on the floor and crossing your legs. You looked up at him with doe-like eyes, your voice biting, “Well, are you going to join me or just keep staring at me?”

Hopper’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the sudden shift in your tone, mildly impressed by your cocky attitude, “I’ll go with option number one.”

You bit the inside of your cheek as you eyed him down, admiring the way that his jacket clung to the muscles of his arms. You swore you wouldn’t keep flirting like this, but… _that dream_ …

Hopper noticed your gaze and flushed under the weight of it, coughing nervously as he looked around. 

“So…” you trailed off, rubbing your hands up and down your thighs as your vision broke away from him. “This is what it’s like to be a badass.”

He laughed heartily before rolling his eyes, leaning over and playing the record that was on the turntable. You groaned in euphoria as the sound of Bob Dylan emitted from the tiny speakers, “God, your taste in music is impeccable.”

He laid down on the floor as he looked up at you, one hand behind his head, “What can I say? I have amazing taste.”

You looked down at him with hearts in your eyes, the fantasy from last night playing over and over again in your head like a movie stuck on repeat. Seeing him here in person, feeling the heat radiate off of his body, and smelling the scent of his cigarettes made it nearly impossible for you not to straddle him. Your stomach clenched nervously before you looked away from him with a blush.

“Homecoming is coming up,” you began, paying particular attention to a stray string that dangled from your long-sleeve. “Are you gonna go?”

“Maybe,” he dragged out, his eyes searching your face. “I guess it just depends.”

“Depends on what?” you giggle, tilting your head at him.

“On who I’d be going with,” he stated, his mouth forming a tight smile.

“Oh,” you said, the feeling of disappointment clouding your mind. You were hoping that he would go alone, maybe so you could spend time together. Not the _whole_ night, of course. You still needed to make appearances with Larry. Oh shit. _Larry_.

You felt guilt rise in your stomach like bile. Here you were, sneaking around with the object of your fantasies, not even thinking about the boyfriend that you committed yourself to. This back and forth was getting old, but you found yourself continuously repeating a cycle you were too scared to break.

“Are you okay?” Hopper asked, concern lacing his voice as he noticed the sudden shift of discomfort on your part.

“Um, yeah… _yeah_ , I’m okay,” you stuttered, looking down at the floor in shame. “Just…no, it’s- _it’s fine_.”

“You wanna talk about it?” he asked, sitting up so that he could rub a comforting hand across your back.

“I just remembered something…that’s all,” you replied, technically not lying. You brought your knees up to your chest before returning his gaze, “Who were you going to ask?”

“Ah,” he tutted his tongue against his teeth. “Well, you see, that’s where it gets complicated.”

“Oh?” you asked with a furrowed brow.

“The girl that I want to ask has a boyfriend,” he said, looking up at you with those damn near perfect eyes. “But…I’m holding out hope.”

You felt your mouth go dry, your head beginning to spin, “Why?”

“I’ve already waited ten years,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I would hold out for another ten if I had to.”

Oh. _Oh_.

You inhaled a sharp breath through your nose as the realization of his confession dawned on you. You felt a tiny smile pull at the corners of your mouth, warmth blooming in your chest.

“Ten years, huh?” you smirked, looking down at his lips.

“Yep,” he said plainly. “Ten _long ass_ years.”

Without filtering your thoughts, you spoke before you could stop yourself, “What are you doing tonight?”

His eyes widened as a grin began to form on his face, “Not a damn thing, doll.”

You chuckled, “Well…there’s going to be a showing of _Psycho_ at the Beaumont. Maybe we could go? And, you know, study, of course.”

He sputtered over his words, trying not to show too much excitement at the prospect of being alone with you in a car. You looked over at him expectantly before he regained his composure, “Yeah, sure. Sounds good. We can, uh…I mean Ican drive my old man’s car.”

You smiled, biting your lower lip, “Groovy.”

An awkward silence fell upon you both as you looked away, suddenly shy. He coughed, “Is this-I mean, is this just so we could study?”

You looked over at him confused before shaking your head, remembering the excuse you gave him, “Well, to study _and_ to watch a movie. I’m not paying money to see a movie I won’t watch.”

He nodded at you, unsure of your intentions. And, truth be told, neither were you. You just wanted to _be_ with him. 

The loud ring of the bell whistled, making you jump and clutch at your chest in surprise. You laughed nervously before smiling at Hopper, “I guess that’s my cue to dash. I can’t skip two classes in one day.”

He chuckled, nudging your knee with his own, “Maybe I can convince you one day.”

“Well,” you started, standing up and gathering your belongings. “It took you ten years just to get me to do it once.”

“And I’d wait another ten,” he said, the intensity of his eyes sending butterflies straight to your stomach.

“Be ready for 6:30,” you said confidently, smiling down at him.

“I’ll do you one better,” he started, pointing a finger at you. “I’ll be ready for 6:29.”

“Bye, Hopper,” you said, rolling your eyes as you removed the shovel and opened the shed door.

“See ya, beautiful,” he responded.

You closed the door behind you and fell against the wooden frame of the door, finding it hard not to buckle your knees. He always called you doll or dollface, but… _never_ beautiful. I mean, of course, he would say that you looked beautiful all of the time, but it wasn’t necessarily a pet name. It seemed that the two of you had moved into another stage, another territory. The line had been crossed.

With a blush glued to the swells of your cheeks, you gripped your bag tightly and began to walk to calculus, the words from the conversation reverberating off of the walls of your head as you walked aimlessly back into the school building. You had a dreamy look in your eyes, the feelings that you had for Hopper becoming more and more clear and strong with each step that you took.

“(Y/N)!” shouted a voice from down the hall, followed by Larry’s jogging figure approaching you from behind with a wide grin on his face. “I didn’t see you this morning! You okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” you said nervously. “Just feeling a little sick, that’s all.”

He frowned, dipping his face to press a wet kiss to your cheek, “I’m sorry, baby.”

You felt guilt rise once more, the idea of cheating on Larry making you sick to your stomach. Though you weren’t in love with him, you couldn’t break his heart like that. You were committed to him, and he was committed to you (albeit definitely more so). 

“I’ll come over tonight,” he said, wrapping an arm around your waist as you both continued to walk to your classroom. “I’ll bring your favorite candy…gummy bears.”

“ _Sweet Tarts_ ,” you corrected, looking away from him. “My favorite candy is Sweet Tarts.”

“Oh,” he said, embarrassed that he had gotten it wrong. “Well, I can bring some over! And we could watch _The Dick Van Dyke Show_.”

You fought the urge to push him away from you. It was like he didn’t even know who you were, “I think I’m just going to go home and sleep early.”

“I don’t mind cuddling with you until you fall asleep,” he pleaded, his grip on you tightening.

You couldn’t decide if his desperation was endearing or annoying, but you settled on the latter, “Um…thank you, but…I don’t want to risk getting you all gross and sick.”

Disappointment clouded his eyes, his hand dropping from your side so that it could rest in his pocket, “Okay, well…I love you.”

You stopped walking as you approached the mathematics lab. With your eyes downcast, you reached your head upwards and pressed a quick peck to his cheek, “I’ll see you at lunch, Larry.”

Before he could respond, you turned your back to him, unable to look him in the eyes. He turned around dejectedly, stung by your lack of reciprocation and unwillingness to spend any time outside of school with him. The truth was that you had been spending less and less time with one another, and it was mostly your fault. Every time that he wanted to spend time with you, you shut him out, always blaming something out of your control for the reason. You didn’t want to be the one to break things off with him; you didn’t want to hurt him. So, for now…you could wait.

But you wouldn’t need to wait much longer.


	4. Close Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Hopper go to the drive-in movie theater, but things get a little too close for comfort.
> 
> Chapter Rating: M (for Boners)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all this chapter had me feeling deep in my emotions. I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

You fidgeted uncomfortably as you glanced at your reflection in the mirror, your heart truly torn between two choices. While every part of you wanted this to be a date, the other part of you demanded that tonight be nothing more than a friendly study-session and movie. The latter part also felt extreme guilt over being dishonest with Larry, making your head spin in frustration. The more that you thought about it, however, the more that you began to lean more towards the former part of your thoughts. 

You turned around to check your appearance in the mirror, smoothing down the tight material of an orange dress you had purchased earlier this month, something out of the burgeoning era of disco that was becoming popular. You fluffed out the dark curls that fell over a matching wide orange headband before you slid a pair of bulbous white earrings through your earlobes. You retrieved a pair of calf-high white boots and zipped them up on your legs, checking your reflection once more before your heart began to stutter in your chest from nerves.

You had known Hopper forever, it seemed. So, why did you feel so nervous around him now? Your feelings for him began as friendly, then developed into a tiny crush, and now…now you weren’t sure. The feelings were stronger, and you felt jittery around him now more than you ever had. Though it was incredibly confusing trying to understand those feelings, the excitement that flooded your veins outweighed that sensation. 

You habitually looked out of your window, looking down into Hopper’s yard and smiling softly when you saw Hopper leaning against the hood of his dad’s pale Rambler Ambassador, puffing away on a cigarette. He must have felt the presence of your eyes on him as he turned around and caught your stare. His eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face before he waved up at you, evoking an equally-excited gesture from yourself. You looked away from him quickly as nerves began to fill your stomach, the heat on your cheeks spreading. You slowly and precisely swiped red lipstick across your lips, puckering your lips in an effort to spread the formula evenly. After spraying a spritz of perfume onto your collarbone, you grabbed your purse and history book and jogged downstairs, the sound of your heels echoing off of the wooden planks.

“(Y/N)?” asked your father from the living room, perched comfortably on the reclined chair as he watched the news on the television.

“Yes?” you asked, clutching your book to your lower stomach as you looked at him with earnest eyes.

“You look really nice,” he complimented with a smile. “Where are you off to?”

“Just going see a movie with Hopper,” you replied, leaning against the beam of the doorway.

“You two have been getting a little closer, huh?” he asked, adjusting the thick-rimmed frames of his glasses with a sly smirk. “I thought you were going steady with that Larry kid.”

“I, uh, _I am_ ,” you squeaked, looking away from him. “Hopper and I are just-”

“-just friends?” he asked with a chuckle. “Yeah, that’s what your mother used to say about me.”

You blushed, biting the inside of your cheek to contain a smile, “I promise I won’t be out too late, okay?”

“Tell him I said hello,” he said, returning his attention to the television. “Have a good time.”

You silently thanked him, waving before walking out onto the porch. You waltzed over to Hopper’s house, smirking as Hopper’s jaw dropped comically wide as your distance shrank, his eyes glued to the contours of your curves as your hips swayed closer to him.

“Cat’s got your tongue, Hop?” you asked with a wicked glint in your eye, licking your red lips as you allowed your own eyes to ogle him.

Rather than his signature leather jacker, Hopper opted to wear a denim one instead (no doubt his own special way of dressing up). Under the clean jacket he wore a crisp, form-fitting black tee shirt that was tucked into cuffed denim jeans. His hair, which was usually only brushed, was now lightly greased. His cologne was fresh, the faint smell of soap hidden behind the scent of the cigarette in his hand. 

“ _Damn_ ,” he whispered, coughing once he realized that his filter momentarily stopped working. “I mean…you look really nice.”

You bit your lower lip as a blush crept up your neck, motioning towards the car he was leaned against, “So, Francis let you borrow the Rambler?”

“Well, he doesn’t exactly know that he let me borrow it yet,” he winced, tossing his cigarette to the pavement before stomping it out with a black boot. He brought his hand to rest on your lower back, leading you to the passenger side of the car before opening the door for you. You sheepishly passed in front of him, smiling as you made sure to brush your hips against his in the process. Hopper grunted nervously before shutting the door for you and returning to his side.

You looked around the somewhat new interior of the car and admired the way that it was so spacious in the front, an idea that you would surely keep in mind for future dates, _ahem_ , “hang-outs.” Hopper opened his side and quickly got in, igniting the engine so that the radio began to play.

You tried your best to keep your body distant from his, as the car lacked a center console that could separate the both of you. As the light voice of a crooner waved through the speakers of the car, a comfortable silence fell amongst you. Though you tried to keep your eyes outside of the window onto the road, you couldn’t help but feel Hopper’s eyes shifting towards you from time-to-time, a soft smile gracing his lips. You smiled to yourself in return, suddenly feeling bashful under his gaze.

After a quiet fifteen-minute ride, Hopper finally pulled into the entrance of the Beaumont, stopping in front of the teller and fishing into his pocket for his wallet. You reached into your purse and fished out a few coins before unbuckling your seatbelt, reaching over Hopper’s figure to hand the usher money for the tickets. 

“Oh, no you don’t,” Hopper scolded, quickly grabbing your waist with his hands before tossing a few dollars to the usher as you giggled from his tickling fingers.

“Dammit, Hopper!” you wheezed, falling back into your seat as you continued to laugh. “I could have paid for the both of us. I know you don’t like scary movies, and I practically _demanded_ that we see this one.”

“I know,” he said with a shrug. “But the lady never pays.”

You side-eyed him with a smirk, knowing that this rule only applied to dates. As he took the tickets, you reached down to grab your history book, which had fallen to the floor during the pseudo-tickle fight. As you began to lightly flip through the pages, Hopper pulled into a discreet spot hidden under a tree in the back of the drive-in, a blush forming on your cheeks at the idea of having this much privacy with him. He shifted the gears into park before rolling down his window half-way so that you could hear the speakers from the screen in the front. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned his body towards you with an expectant look, his grin quickly transforming into a frown when he gazed down at the heavy textbook in your lap.

“Wait, we’re really studying?” he asked, his voice slightly high-pitched in disbelief.

“We have a test tomorrow,” you replied, your gaze never leaving the pages of your book. “I _promise_ that I’ll make it worth your while.”

He quirked an eyebrow in your direction, a mischievous smile beginning to form on his lips, “What’s in it for me, doll?”

“Use your imagination,” you whispered, looking up and winking at him before flipping to another page. “The movie doesn’t start for another thirty minutes or so…why don’t we just look over this chapter really quick, okay?”

“What if _you_ look over the chapter and _I_ go and grab us some snacks?” he asked, slapping his leg excitedly.

You rolled your eyes, not having a chance to answer him before he got out of the car. You smiled lowly as you watched him walk in front of the car and travel to the concession stand a few spots away, all the while never taking your eyes off of his ass, which was a little more supple today than normal. As he waited patiently, you completely forgot about the information in your lap, opting to look at him instead. You couldn’t help yourself. He looked so _different_. While he was always painfully attractive, you could see that he put just a little more effort into his appearance tonight. He was undeniably gorgeous, _delicious_ even. Every inch of him demanded your attention, and you wanted more than anything to give it to him in whatever way he seemed fit. You sighed heavily through your nose as you felt arousal pool in between your legs. You shut your thighs tightly together in an attempt to soothe the ache, a light whimper escaping your lips. 

He grabbed a tray full of items and turned towards the car, you jerking your head back to your lap to make it seem like you hadn’t just fantasized about screwing him in the backseat of his dad’s car. He returned to his side, opening the door and sliding the tray next to you as he got back inside. 

“So…” he began, removing the items off of the tray one by one. “We have one large popcorn, a Coke for me, a _cherry_ Coke for you, and a box of Sweet Tarts, since I know you love ‘em so much.”

You held the box of Sweet Tarts in your hand, staring along the edges of the box as you recalled the interaction you had with Larry earlier. Hopper knew you better than anyone else, and it made your heart swell in your chest at the level of thoughtfulness and detail that he put into every action he did for you. You smiled and turned your head to look at him.

“Thank you, Jim,” you sighed, reaching over and pressing a light kiss on his cheek.

Hopper blushed lightly before smiling, taking a sip of his beverage, “Don’t mention it, doll.”

You looked down at your lap and scoffed, quickly shutting the book and tossing it in the backseat, “Fuck history.”

Hopper chuckled, removing the tray from in between you so that he could slide his body closer to yours. You complied, meeting him halfway. Placing the popcorn bag in your lap, you pressed the side of your body against his, face heating up at the contact between your bodies. He slowly reached his hand into the bag on your lap and you blushed, the only thing separating his hand and the center of your thighs was the thin material of the paper bag. He popped a kernel into his mouth, a surge of confidence erupting from him as he slid his arm around your shoulders. You inhaled a sharp breath, tensing up before allowing yourself to scoot closer, resting your head against his shoulder. As you settled your head there, he leaned his face down and pressed a kiss against your soft curls.

“Your hair smells so nice,” he said before he shut his eyes and winced. “I promise I didn’t mean to sound so creepy.”

You chuckled, looking up at him so that your faces were only a few inches apart, “Thank you. It’s a new honey and flower blend; it’s supposed to help with volume or something like that.”

“Flowers and honey?” he asked, cocking his head. “Sweet and soft, just like you.”

“Soft?” you scoffed playfully. “Is that supposed to be a dig at me?”

“No,” he shook his head, eyes darting to your lips. “It’s a good thing. Your skin, your hair, your eyes, your…lips. You’re soft in all of the best ways possible. _Beautiful_.”

You ducked your head sheepishly, blushing furiously at the complement. A sharp sound came from the speakers, indicating the start of the movie. You jumped a little at the suddenness, giggling at your own reaction. Hopper chuckled in response, pulling you tighter into him as you drew your attention to the screen.

The only problem was that you couldn’t pay attention to the movie no matter how hard you tried. You felt more hyperaware of Hopper than you ever had before. Every breath that he took, every shift he made, every time that he laughed or scoffed…he was the center of all of your attention, movie be damned. Soon, the infamous shower scene began to play, the anticipation making you tense up as the score began to swell over the speakers. Once the shower curtain was pulled, you yelped, turning to bury your face into the crook of Hopper’s neck as you pulled the lapel of his jacket tightly.

As you waited for the sound of the music to return to normal, you felt Hopper’s breath hitch, the feeling of his heartbeat quickening under your palm, which now laid flat over his chest. You looked up at him, his eyes bright and wide as he met your gaze, his lips parted in anticipation. You swallowed audibly, the air in the car becoming thick and warm. You moved your hand to rest on his upper thigh, your fingers gently kneading the flesh that laid underneath the tight denim of his slacks. Your eyes fluttered close as you pressed a light and gentle kiss against his neck.

Hopper gasped, his grip around your body tightening as you sucked on the skin, moaning against his neck when you felt his pulse under your lips. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as you moved your lips up to his jaw. After pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, you smiled, looking down at his parted mouth.

“Hopper, I-” you began, your voice getting cut off by the sound of tires screeching and rowdy teenagers shouting as another car flew into the lot.

Your’s and Hopper’s heads turned to see a group of boys your age, all wearing Hawkins High letterman jackets. The boys, most of whom were drunk off of their asses, were blaring music and earning shouts of displeasure from other people in the drive-in. Your eyes widened when you recognized the back of one of them, the letterman jacket sporting the last name **KLINE** printed in large white letters on the back.

“Fuck!” you hissed, ducking your body down and your face underneath the steering wheel, a few inches above Hopper’s waist. You looked down and blushed when you saw the outline of Hopper’s hardened cock through his jeans. “ _Oh_.”

Hopper’s face turned a shade of beet-red, his eyes looking around to make sure that no one had seen you lower yourself. He looked down at you with apologetic eyes, but, before he could apologize, you whispered frantically, “We have to get out of here.”

Hopper swallowed thickly before pulling out of the lot, nudging you once the car was out of sight of anyone in the drive-in. You quickly raised yourself and cowered in the corner of the passenger’s side, eyes wide and awkwardness enveloping the both of you.

“I-I’m sorry,” he said, his tone laced with embarrassment and shame as he reached down to adjust himself outside of his jeans. 

“It’s okay,” you squeaked, eyes darting down to the bulge in his slacks before looking back up into his eyes. You couldn’t help but begin to snicker, laughs erupting from your chest.

Hopper covered his face, laughing along with you as you both admitted to defeat. You clutched your chest as you wheezed at the awkwardness of the situation. 

You sighed, wiping a tear from your eye before looking over at him, “Is that a roll of coins in your pocket or were you just happy to see me?”

He scoffed, leaning over to push your shoulder playfully, “ _Shut up_.”

You looked over at him with a smirk, trailing your fingers across the leather seat and onto his lap, “You know…I would be more than happy to _assist_ with that.”

Hopper looked over at you and gulped, his eyes filling with dejection before he reached down and pulled your hand off of his leg, “No.”

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, the feeling of rejection making you feel nauseous, “You don’t want me to…?”

Hopper continued to drive, his knuckles turning white as they gripped the steering wheel tightly, “ _God_ , you have no idea how much I want you to, but…we can’t.”

“Did I do something wrong?” you asked, your voice shaky as you felt your eyes begin to water.

“No,” he said, looking over at you with sad eyes. “No, you didn’t.”

The rest of the car ride went by in uncomfortable silence, a stark contrast from the ease of the drive over. Once pulled into Hopper’s drive-way, he broke the silence.

“(Y/N),” he started, looking at his lap. “I don’t think I can keep doing this.”

You looked over at him, biting the inside of your cheek as he continued, “Not…not when you still have a boyfriend.”

You sighed, looking into your own lap, “I-I know.”

“Why are you still with him?” he asked, his voice growing angry. “I just don’t understand what you see in him that you don’t see in…”

He trailed off, bringing his hand up to rub over his mouth, “You just deserve someone so much better than him. Someone who is so in love with you that you’re the first thought that he has when he wakes up and the last thought he has before he sleeps. Someone who would do anything to make sure that you were happy, even if that meant seeing a horror movie at a tacky drive-in theater.”

You looked over at him, your bottom lip quivering, “Hopper…”

“No,” he said, getting out of the car before you followed suit. You looked at him from the other side of the vehicle as he continued, “He exists. He would wait years for you, but…you can’t keep trailing him along. It’s not… _it’s not okay_.”

He turned away from you, walking into his house and leaving you alone with your thoughts. With a heavy sigh and tear-streaked cheeks, you turned around and went back into your own house, walking begrudgingly up the stairs to your room. After shutting your door, you went to your vanity mirror, beginning to take off your jewelry. As you placed your earrings back into your jewelry box, your eyes traveled to the pictures that dangled on the top of your mirror, one of them a strip of film from the photo booth inside of Lucy’s Diner a few blocks away. 

You smiled and picked it up, your thumb rubbing over the contours of the images of you and Hopper when you were both fourteen, the summer before high school started.

_“Your dad really let you watch Lolita?” you asked with an exasperated expression, sucking away at the chocolate milkshake in a frosted glass.  
_

_“Yep,” Hopper croaked, his voice cracking more harshly these days. “Didn’t even watch it with me, he just let me.”  
_

_“It’s so gross,” you said with a sour expression on your face. “She’s like twelve and he’s like seventy.”  
_

_“She’s fifteen and he’s forty-four,” he corrected through a mouth full of cheeseburger.  
_

_“Same difference,” you rolled your eyes, kicking his leg under the table playfully.  
_

_“Whatever,” he said, swallowing his food before looking around the diner. “Are you nervous?”_

_“About?” you eyed him over your glass.  
_

_“High school,” he said, picking up a french fry before dipping it into your shake.  
_

_“So gross,” you said under your breath at the action before rolling your eyes. “I think I’m more excited than nervous.”  
_

_“We’ll still be friends, though, right?” he asked, his eyes wide.  
_

_You smiled, your heart fluttering a bit in your chest as his bright blue eyes screamed at you, “Of course we will.”_

_You reached over and stole a fry off of his plate, “Besides, who else would I steal food from?”_

_“You’re lucky you’re so cute, baby doll,” he chuckled, coughing when his voice cracked just a little harsher.  
_

_You chuckled before reaching for his hand, “Come on!”_

_He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as you dragged him over to the old photo booth in the back of the diner. You pulled the curtain open and dragged him in with you. After fishing in your coin purse for some coins, you plopped them into the slot and began to pose, Hopper laughing at your crazy expressions._

_“You’re so weird,” he said, posing along with you.  
_

_“You like it,” you said, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek as the light flashed one last time._

You dropped the photo onto your dresser in your flight to the phone on top of your nightstand. Picking up the receiver, you dialed a familiar number and waited for the tones to clear.

“Hello?” asked a light female voice from the other end.

“Mrs. Kline,” you started. “Is Larry home?”


	5. Bent, Not Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You decide to confront Larry, but there’s more to the story than you realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this took so long, but...here she is. Not too long; the next chapter will probably follow the same dynamics. But things are going to heat up in chapter seven, so please stay tuned for it!

You sighed heavily through your nose, drumming your fingers against the hard leather of your steering wheel as the notes of some random song blared loudly through your car speakers. Your attention was divided evenly between the roads leading to Hawkins High School and the dilemma you currently faced. While you had wished to break things off with Larry over the phone to avoid looking him in the eye, his mother informed you that he wasn’t home. As per tradition, you knew the likelihood of the football team returning to campus to drink a few beers under the bleachers was very high. No one would ever discover them there so late on a weekday. Theoretically, you could wait until tomorrow to talk to him, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep until you did it. 

After fifteen minutes deep in thought, you pulled your car up onto a curb near the football field before removing the key from the car’s ignition. You seemed to be on auto-pilot as you exited the vehicle, your eyes darting around the field in search of a sign of life. _Nothing_.

After looking under the bleachers, you started to become confused. Maybe they weren’t as predictable as you had thought them to be. All of the go-to areas of the school for late-night drinking were abandoned. No sign of life whatsoever. You huffed disappointedly, crossing your arms as the night air began to chill your body. It seemed as if you would be in for a sleepless night, after all. You began to walk back to your car when you saw it, the familiar shape of Larry’s beat-up Mustang, which was parked a few spots away from the entrance of the gym.

You stalked over to the car, your palms beginning to sweat as the reality of the situation began to take hold of you. If Larry was anywhere on property, this would be your best bet. There would be no more worry of maintaining a power couple status, nothing in the way of what you needed anymore. This decision would alter the course of your next year, but you couldn’t bring yourself to fear it any longer. You were actually relieved that you would be cutting yourself away from this. Larry only existed as a metaphor for everything that was wrong with your life right now: false popularity and sense of a safety net, the painful deliberation of partaking in a sport that made you miserable, the illusion of perfection. Your preconceived ideals of happiness had changed; you now knew what real happiness felt like. It was Hopper. Being held in his arms, goofing around with him... _Jim Hopper_ was happiness.

As you approached the car, your confidence began to lessen, your throat suddenly becoming dry when you saw the shape of two bodies in the back seat. As you got closer, you soon realized that the car was bouncing lightly and the windows were fogged. You inhaled sharply in your nose, the pieces of the puzzle before you coming together as you stopped in front of the passenger’s side of the car. Your heart beat rapidly in your chest as you heard familiar noises...moans. _Larry’s_ moans. You swallowed down the ball in your throat before knocking on the window harshly.

Larry’s face popped up in your vision behind the fogged-up window, and you could detect the blushing tint on his cheeks along with his lipstick-stained lips from the woman below him. He began to curse under his breath when he recognized you, quickly fumbling around to regain his composure before scrambling out of the car. As he sat up, the other figure became visible, her bright blonde hair causing you to fill with a quiet rage. _Chrissy Carpenter_.

Larry tumbled out of the driver’s side, yanking his jersey on and attempting to zip up his fly as he began to panic.

“(Y/N)!” he shouted, running over to where you stood. He attempted to lightly grasp your arm, but you yanked it away as soon as his fingers brushed your skin. “This...this isn’t what it looks like.”

“So, you’re not fucking another girl in your back seat?” you asked cautiously, sarcastic tone biting behind your voice.

He looked down at his feet dejectedly as Chrissy emerged from the car while attempting to fix her hair, her clothes far-beyond dishevelment.

“Um, can we talk?” you asked, crossing your arms in discomfort as you looked away. You couldn’t decipher if you felt embarrassed or guilty. After all, you almost found yourself in this exact same situation with Hopper. No one deserved to feel like this.

“He’s a little preoccupied at the moment,” Chrissy piped up with a smug grin.

You released a sharp breath through your nose as you looked at her with narrowed eyes. You walked up to her, your hand clapping loudly against the girl’s cheek. 

A scandalous expression marked her face, her jaw dropping as you spat, “ _Go fuck yourself_.”

You pointed at Larry and then motioned towards the curb, walking in front of him to lead him away from Chrissy’s bitching and whining. You turned around slowly once you reached the edge of the grass, rubbing your hands together nervously as a tear escaped your eye.

“How long?” you muttered, not daring to make eye contact with him.

“...three months,” he confessed, his voice slightly above a whisper.

“ _Huh_ ,” you commented, slightly shocked as you tutted your tongue against your teeth. “That’s...that’s a long time, Larry.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, biting his bottom lip before looking away from you. “It’s just...this thing between us...it was never going to work.”

“You could have had the decency to break up with me,” you responded, the hypocrisy in your veins rising like bile in your body.

“I was scared,” he said, his reasoning mirroring your own. “We made a really, really amazing couple.”

“On the outside,” you whispered, reaching a hand up to rub over your face. “Look, I...I get it. I’m not...I’m not mad at you, okay? I’ve had my fair share of temptations over the past few-”

“-Hopper, right?” he asked, looking up at you slowly as he fisted his hands in his pockets. “I see the way you look at him, (Y/N). It’s how I wanted you to look at me, but...you don’t love me the way that you love him, and _that’s okay_.”

You found yourself speechless, your arms wrapping around yourself tightly as Larry wrapped an arm around you. You buried your face in his neck as a sob escaped your lips, “I’m _so_ sorry, Larry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he whimpered, clutching you tighter. “I should have said something sooner.”

“It’s okay,” you sighed, parting from him before looking at him under heavy eyelids. “I think...I think this is it.”

“I think so, too,” he said with a tight line across his lips.

“Just, do me one favor?” you asked, wiping your eyes free of tears. “Fuck literally _anyone_ else. She is _a bitch_.”

Larry laughed, shaking his head as a blush crept up his neck, “She’s not so bad.”

“You only say that ‘cus she sucks your dick,” you replied, smirking at the response your teasing evoked in him. There was a time when you were friends, and, even if it took a while, you wouldn’t mind returning to that dynamic with him. “I’m gonna get going, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Take care of yourself.”

You smiled tightly, nodding your head as you watched him return to his car. Chrissy huffed impatiently as he returned by her side, wrapping an arm around her waist. You felt your heart sting, causing you to turn around and walk swiftly back to your own car. This entire thing...it _hurt_. There was a small part of you that had felt like you deserved this. You almost cheated on Larry, and, whether or not he was cheating on you this whole time, he didn’t deserve to feel the way that you were feeling now. And he _knew_ how you felt about Hopper, probably longer than you even knew yourself. Larry had went through months feeling betrayed and heartbroken; of course he acted out.

You got into your car and ignited your engine, choosing to sit in silence for a few moments to collect yourself. As much as you loved him, you knew that Hopper deserved someone better, someone who wouldn’t feel the temptation to cheat like you did. Someone who would give him the attention and love he deserved from the beginning. Someone who would have chosen him over Larry from the start. You felt your face tense as tears began to fall, your heart breaking at the loss of two important men in your life at the same time.

The drive back home was a long one, the silence deafening your ears as you chose to not play the radio. Once reaching home, you got out of your car and stared up at Hopper’s window. Against your better instincts, you walked over to the side of the house and picked up a few pebbles before throwing them one-by-one at his window. After a few pellets, he peeled back the white curtain with confusion and sleepiness clouding his eyes. He looked down, his eyes widening in shock when he realized you were the one disturbing his sleep.

Hopper pulled his window up, his bare chest exposed to cold night air as he looked down at you, “What are you still doing up?”

“The damn sheep just won’t jump over the fence,” you chuckled, dropping the rest of the rocks on the floor. “I broke up with him.”

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as his mouth parted in shock, “W-Why?”

“I’ve lost track of all of the reasons,” you smiled. “But the most important one is that I don’t love him. I love someone else.”

He looked at you with confusion before cocking his head, “Why now?”

You chuckled and looked down at your feet, “It was time. I’m sure he’ll be much happier with Chrissy.”

“The bastard cheated on you, didn’t he?” he growled, anger forming on his brow as his fists tightened on the windowsill. 

“Yeah, but...it’s okay,” you said softly. “Look, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I’m sorry I woke you up.”

You turned around and walked towards your house as he called out behind you, “Never be sorry.”

You smiled and shot him a friendly wave, walking into your house and climbing up your stairs. You fell into bed quickly, finally able to get the sleep that you had craved for months.

For the first time in a long time, you were at peace.


	6. Bleach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make a drastic decision regarding your status at Hawkins High, but luckily you have a friend to help you transition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, he is a short and sweet little transition piece. Y’all better know that the next chapter is probably the most steamy that this series has been, and it’s only gonna get more intense from here. So, buckle up, buckaroos.

The autumn leaves fell gracefully past your bedroom window as you stared out of it. It seemed like you had woken up in a parallel universe. You looked down at your outfit, sighing heavily through your nose as you touched the light blue and white polyester material of the cheerleading outfit that clung to your body. Something about this didn’t seem right, it didn’t seem like you. It seemed like the only thing left tethering you to a part of your life you didn’t want back.

The decision had been playing through your mind all morning, and it took putting on the familiar uniform for you to be absolutely positive. With a determined look on your brow, you removed your clothes and redressed in something more comfortable, something that didn’t feel like a costume. You folded up your uniform and put it into your backpack, your mind made up.

You arrived to school with all eyes narrowed in on you at your choice of wear, a comfortable pair of ripped black jeans and a tight, off-the-shoulder top that showed off your clavicle and cleavage generously. You walked past gawking students as you reached Coach Macnamera’s office. With a deep breath, you reached your hand up to knock lightly against the door, awaiting her voice on the other side.

“Come in!” she responded happily before you turned the knob and slid inside of the room.

“Coach Macnamera,” you began, opening up your backpack and retrieving your folded uniform. You placed it on the edge of her desk before stepping back nervously, “I’m returning my uniform.”

“There a hole in it or something?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow as she continued to fill out waivers on her desk.

“Um, no,” you chuckled nervously, putting your hands in your pockets. “I’m, well...I’m quitting the team.”

“Excuse me?” she breathed out, looking up at you with wide eyes. “You can’t just quit; we have homecoming rally this afternoon.”

“Look, I know this is sudden, but...” you began, your voice shaking as she stared you down. Coach had always been on the more intense side; you knew that she wanted everyone on the team to succeed in their own ways, so this response was something that you had anticipated. “I’m sure you can get by without me. It’s not like I do any of the stunts. I just call out the cheers.”

“You’re really letting the team down right now,” she whispered, shaking her head before snatching the uniform off of her desk and throwing it into a nearby drawer. “You’re the co-captain of the team. You’re really just going to hand it over to Carpenter like that?”

You leaned against the door and looked her in the eyes, “You and I both know that I haven’t been happy here, not for a very long time. This... _this_ is what needs to happen. It’s what’s best for everyone.”

Macnamera sighed, closing her eyes softly, “Well...if you change your mind, you know where to find me. God knows I would rather disband the team than put Carpenter in charge, but...I understand.”

“You do?” you asked, slightly shocked at her sudden compassion.

“I did some things in high school that I wish I would have done differently,” she responded. “You have to do what you have to do.”

“Thanks, Coach,” you smiled tightly, the air in the room becoming less thick.

“Take care of yourself, kid,” she nodded, pointing at the door for you to leave her be.

You exited quietly and rested your back against the door, hanging your head lowly so that your curls covered your face. _Relief_. That’s all that you could feel. There was nothing holding you back. All you had was the boy next door, and you felt renewed and excited at the prospect of starting something new with him. Something you had been yearning for longer than you even knew.

The school bell screeched through the hallways, but, as everyone fled to their classes, you decided to walk out of the building. Your eyes scanned the student parking lot before catching sight of a familiar figure sitting under a tree, cigarette smoke wafting in the air like a flare signal. With a smirk, you reached into your back pocket to retrieve and light a cigarette of your own, placing it between your plump red lips as you stalked towards Hopper across the lot.

“Hey, stranger,” you called out teasingly as you approached him with a smile.

Hopper looked up at you intimidatingly, expecting to have to shoo off whoever was interrupting him. Instead, his face split into a grin when his familiar eyes met yours. His eyes scanned over you slowly, his mouth parting as he discovered your curves through your tight outfit.

“ _Damn_ ,” he whispered to himself before closing his eyes in embarrassment. “I mean...what are you doing out here, doll? You’re gonna be late for class.”

“I’d rather spend it with you,” you said softly with a shrug. 

You sat down next to him, resting your back against the trunk of the tree. You inhaled the smoke once more before removing the stick from your lips, leaving it dangle lazily between your fingers. 

“You seem... _relaxed_ ,” he joked, looking at your face with adoration as he put his own cigarette out in the dirt next to him.

“I quit,” you informed him, blowing a ring of smoke seductively in his direction. “I quit the cheerleading team, I broke up with the star quarterback, and, now, here I am. Cutting class with the resident bad boy in the back of the parking lot.”

“Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?” he asked teasingly, nudging your shoulder with his own.

You turned to him with a soft smile, flicking a dangling butt off of your cigarette, “I’m...I’m really sorry, Hop.”

“For what?” he asked with furrowed brows.

“For last night,” you said, looking down at your feet in shame. “I shouldn’t have put you in that situation. It was unfair of me to do that, and I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable?” he scoffed, his eyes roaming your face before he smirked smugly. “Is that your way of apologizing for giving me a hard-on?”

You giggled, putting your face in your hands as your cheeks reddened. He continued, resting his back against the trunk, “It’s okay. I get it...I am _quite_ irresistible to some women.”

“Cocky bastard,” you grunted with a sly smile before smacking his shoulder. “Speaking of ‘some women’... you got any prospects for this weekend?”

He tutted his tongue against his teeth, resting his hands behind his head cockily, “Well, you know that girl I told you about? Turns out my misplaced hope actually paid off.”

“Oh?” you teased, crossing your legs before putting your cigarette out.

“Yeah,” he drawled, biting his lip as he stared at your chest. “She finally dumped that dumbass quarterback. I just hope she would want to go to homecoming with a, uh, _what was it you called me_? A cocky bastard, like myself.”

You hummed loudly, pursing your lips at him, “Well, I don’t know. You are _quite_ the cocky son of a bitch, Jim.”

He grinned at you, his eyes drifting between your lips and eyes as he tilted his head, “What do you say, doll?”

“Is this your way of asking me to go with you?” you scoffed, flipping your hair over your shoulder playfully. “I don’t know, Hop. Seems like a pretty lazy proposal to me.”

“ _Please_ ,” he cooed, leaning over and rubbing his hand up and down your thigh as his deep voice echoed in your ear. His lips pressed against the shell of your ear before he whispered suggestively, “ _Come_ with me.”

You shivered, swallowing audibly before looking at him with a nervous smile, “What color is your tie?”

“What?” he asked, confused.

“I need to make sure my dress matches your tie, dumbass,” you said with a giggle. “Dates need to match each other.”

He smiled widely before pressing a kiss against your cheek, “Navy.”

“I can work with that,” you whispered, winking at him.

“You know,” he droned, dancing his fingers up your thigh. “I’ve been told I’m quite the dancer. I have these hips that _just_ won’t quit.”

“That so?” you asked, picking up his hand and putting it back in his lap. “Guess I’ll just have to see how good those hips really are, baby.”

He gulped at your usage of the pet name, something you never toyed with until now, “I never disappoint, baby doll. Prepare to be absolutely wrecked, because, like I said: these hips _just don’t quit_.”


	7. Blind Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homecoming is the beginning of a night that you will never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! An early release. Y’all better strap in for these next two chapters. Everything is about to go down.

You bedroom smelled of a perfectly blended mixture of hairspray and flowery Chanel perfume as you styled your hair in your vanity mirror. A record was playing in the corner of your room as you attempted to perfect your backcombed half-up hair-do, trying to pull together your ensemble perfectly. Though you tried your best not to overthink anything, the truth was that you were practically shitting yourself with how nervous you were. You wanted to look as perfect as possible, especially since there was a strong possibility that you and Hopper would be…well, you didn’t want to jinx anything, but you were apprehensive nonetheless.

You had been extremely lucky when Hopper told you he would be wearing a navy bowtie tonight, as you only had about four formal dresses on retainer, and one of them thankfully matched _and_ fit your body just right. After checking to make sure that your makeup was applied perfectly, you walked over to your closet to retrieve the off-shoulder swing dress that your mother had bought you a few years back for a wedding. It was wrapped in lace fabric, much softer than usual thanks to the hefty usage of fabric softener your mother washed it in. 

You wrapped the dress around your body and slid your feet into a matching pair of tall stiletto kitten heel pumps. You looked into your mirror and smiled warmly at yourself, mostly at an attempt to calm your nerves.

“Oh, wow,” came a whisper from the doorway.

You turned around and smiled softly at your mother, motioning to your dress, “How does it look?”

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” she sighed, walking over and brushing your hair off of your shoulders. “I think I have something that could make it better, though.”

She removed her hand from behind her back and presented to you a matching set of pearl jewelry, one necklace and matching studs. 

“Oh, mom,” you gasped, taking them in between your fingers. “Are you sure?”

“I wore them for my senior prom,” she smiled. “This is no prom, but…I know how excited you are for it, so…”

You pressed a kiss to her cheek, a small amount of your red lipstick rubbing off onto her skin, “I’m really nervous.”

As your mother took the pearls from your hand and began to put them over and around your neck, she chuckled, “Why? You and Hopper have been friends for, what? Ten years now?”

“It’s different now,” you whispered, sliding the pearl earrings through your earlobes. “I…well, ‘friends’ is kind of a grey area now with him.”

“I remember when your father asked me out,” she chuckled, spinning you around to look at your face. “It was a weird feeling. We had known each other since we were kids, so it was weird transitioning from that. But…we both knew that we loved each other. So…it came naturally to us after a few hours. And when I say things got steamy, I mean-”

“-Yeah, nope we aren’t doing that,” you interrupted with a grimace. “Thank you, Mom.”

“Of course,” she smiled sweetly at you. “Not to alarm you, but Hopper has been down stairs for the past ten minutes.”

“What?” you exclaimed, rushing to grab your clutch before moving past your mom towards your door.

“He didn’t want you to rush,” she replied with a chuckle, grabbing your shoulder. “I think he’s trying to get buddy-buddy with your father. You know, make a good impression. They’re watching the game downstairs.”

“…but Hopper _hates_ football,” you replied with a puzzled expression.

“But he _loves_ you,” she corrected, patting you on the back.

You blushed darkly before walking out of your bedroom and slowly descending the stairs, the sound of your heels clicking against the wooden planks.

You could overhear your father and Hopper discussing pointless sports dynamics, and you had to bite back a laugh when you heard the effort that Hopper put into the conversation, no doubt just talking out of his ass.

“You know, I heard that they were looking to recruit him for the Ravens…” Hopper’s voice trailed off when he saw your figure descend down the staircase. “Oh, _wow_.”

You smiled at him shyly, ducking your head as you reached the bottom of the staircase.

Hopper quickly got up off of the couch and rushed over to you, a corsage in his hand, “You look… _wow_.”

You giggled nervously, pushing your hair back behind your ear, “You said that already.”

“I just…you look amazing,” he said, his voice slightly above a whisper.

“I could say the same about you, stud,” you said before biting your lower lip nervously.

And he did look amazing. His body was wrapped in a form-fitting white suit, a navy button-up shirt tucked into his slacks with the top three buttons undone, revealing a slight tuft of chest hair. You couldn’t even manage to be upset with the fact that he wasn’t wearing a bowtie. He looked absolutely mouth-watering, especially with how clean-shaven his face was and how neatly his hair was combed back. He was a sight for sore eyes, and your eyes were _damn_ sore.

Hopper’s lips remained parted as he looked over your figure, his eyes snapping up to meet yours when he heard your father clear his throat behind him, “Um…I-I got you this!”

You looked up at him with adoration, the crinkles of your eyes squeezing as he picked up your hand to slide on a white-rose corsage, adorned with navy and silver ribbon, “Jim, it’s lovely. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, doll,” he whispered, his eyes bearing into yours as he hovered in front of you, his thumb rubbing soft circles over your hand.

“Okay, picture time!” your mom exclaimed, picking up her Polaroid camera from the foyer table.

You groaned playfully, removing your hand from Hopper’s grasp so you could pose for photos. He was incredibly eager to hold you against him, and the action made your heart jump in your chest. Feeling him so close to you made your whole body succumb to a familiar heat in your lower stomach, and you suddenly felt the urge to put his hands all over your body.

After a few awkward poses, your mother kissed yours and Hopper’s cheeks before sending you on your way, whispering something in your father’s ear that caused his face to pale. He quickly shouted out as you walked hand-in-hand with Hopper towards his father’s car, “ _Don’t do anything stupid!_ ”

Your cheeks heated up as Hopper laughed, opening the door for you, “Oh my god, he is _so_ embarrassing.”

“It’s kind of endearing,” he responded, looking down at you. “He just wants to protect you.”

You hummed in acknowledgment before sitting in the car, waiting for Hopper to join you from his end. Once he slid inside, he started the car and looked over at you.

“You really do look fucking gorgeous,” he smiled smugly, his eyes roaming over your face. “But, I’m a good boy. I can wait.”

“Wait for what?” you asked, somewhat breathless as he backed out of the driveway.

“You can play dumb all you want, sweetheart, but I know that you know,” he grinned, putting a hand over your knee as he began to drive towards the school.

You couldn’t help but stare at him as he looked pensively at the road, putting a toothpick in between his teeth to take the place of a usual cigarette, probably not wanting the scent of smoke to cling to the suit. He smelled absolutely amazing, a mixture of soap and sandalwood. 

“Whatcha’ starin’ at, beautiful?” he asked with a sly grin, his eyes fleeting to yours briefly.

“You,” you said boldly, reaching down to interlace your fingers with his. “You look…well, there aren’t enough words to describe how you look, and ‘handsome’ just won’t cut it, so…”

“You’re too kind,” he drawled, squeezing your hand. 

The rest of the ride continued in comfortable silence, the both of you simply enjoying each other’s company despite the air being thick with sexual tension. If it were up to you, you would skip the dance and rip his suit off in the back seat. But you needed to make sure to get _at least_ one photo at the dance, as well as show off to the entire school that you now had Hopper on your arm.

When you arrived, Hopper helped you out of the car and walked with you hand-in-hand inside of the auditorium. You began to feel nervous, the feeling a hundreds of eyes locked on the both of you as walked inside. Scanning the gym nervously, you found Larry standing with his arm wrapped around Chrissy’s waist as he talked to one of his teammate’s. He caught your stare and gulped, shyly sending you a soft wave as an olive branch for you to take. You took the peace offering and gently waved back.

“I ought to kick the shit out of him for showing up here with her,” Hopper grunted under his breath, his jaw clenching as he stared the younger boy down.

You squeezed his hand before looking up at him, “Don’t worry about him. I’m certainly not.”

Hopper smiled at you tightly before walking you over to the refreshment table, looking around nervously before reaching inside of his coat pocked to retrieve a small flask, “Just…be on the look out okay?”

“Are you about to spike the bowl?” you hissed, looking around erratically. “We could get in so much trouble.”

“That’s the fun of it, sweetheart,” he crooned, sending you a wink that made you weak at the knees. It was a wink that would get you to do anything he wanted, and, with that, you watched out for teachers and chaperones as he poured clear liquid into the red punch.

“Okay,” he said, quickly shoving the empty contained back into his pocket. He took the ladle in his hand before pouring you both drinks, handing one to you with sparkling eyes.

“What is it?” you asked, looking down at it.

Hopper quickly shot the punch back, wincing slightly, “Rum. Cheap rum, but it does the same job.”

You winced, sniffing it before shooting the liquid back, gagging slightly at the taste, “Oh, God. That’s rough.”

“Don’t worry, doll,” he soothed, wrapping his arms around your waist to rest on the swell of your back. “The taste won’t even matter in a few drinks.”

True to his word, after several drinks later, the both of you were dancing closely on the gym floor, laughing and giggling as your tipsiness took over your body. You had your hands wrapped around his shoulders, his hands resting on your lower back as you both swayed to the opening notes of The Flamingos.

“You’re such a goofball,” you laughed, resting your hands over his broad chest.

“Eh, you love it though,” he smiled, pulling you tighter into him as the slow notes began to take over. Soon, multiple couples gathered on the floor, swaying to one of the last slow dances of the night.

You looked up into his eyes and fell yourself fall into a deep trance, the music shooting straight to your heart as you became hypnotized by the deep pools of blue in his irises. 

_My love must be a kind of blind love_

_I can’t see anyone but you_

“I’m really happy to be here with you, Hop,” you whispered, not breaking contact from his eyes.

“I’m happy you said yes,” he chuckled, his hands rubbing up and down your sides delicately.

“As if I would ever tell you no,” you giggled, your eyes lighting up under his stare.

_Are the stars out tonight_

_I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright_

_I only have eyes for you dear_

You swayed slowly to the music, your bodies pressed up against each other. You could feel his heartbeat under your palm, his breath ghosting over your face as he leaned in to rest his forehead against yours. Your eyes closed, just swaying with him and falling into a deep weightless sensation. You were surrounded by Hopper, and the feeling was intoxicating.

_The moon may be high_

_But I can’t see a thing in the sky_

_I only have eyes for you_

You opened your eyes slowly and met his piercing blue ones staring back at you with a ferocious intensity. Your breath hitched in your chest, and it suddenly felt like the both of you were the only two people in the room. You nuzzled your nose against his, falling forward deeper and deeper into him.

_I don’t know if we’re in a garden_

_Or on a crowded avenue_

_You are here_

_And so am I_

“(Y/N)…” he whispered, and you could feel his breath on your lips given the close proximity between your faces.

“Yeah?” you whispered back, a smile tugging at your lips as your stomach filled to the brim with butterflies.

_Maybe millions of people go by_

_But they all disappear from view_

_And I only have eyes for you_

“I love you,” he whispered, his mouth parting slightly as he finally pressed his lips against yours.

You breathed sharply through your nose, the feeling of his lips against yours sending fireworks to course throughout your body. It was as if you were both floating high above the clouds, simply weightless in each other’s arms. You raised your hands up to cradle his face in your hands as he deepened the kiss, one of his hands lightly brushing your cheek as the other caressed your forearm. His lips slid in between yours, moving languidly with them as the song began to fade. 

He released your mouth with a gentle smack, breathing heavily as his hands wrapped around you, “So, _so_ in love with you.”

You laughed breathily with a wide grin, “I love you, too, Hopper. _So much_.”

Hopper pressed a chaste kiss to your lips, looking around nervously before taking your hand, “Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” you replied seriously, squeezing his hand as he led you out of the gym and into the school.

“Where are you bringing me?” you giggled, looking around to make sure no one was following you both.

“Just wait!” he chuckled before wiggling the doorknob of the last classroom down the hall. “Here we go.”

He opened it up and dragged you inside, quickly shutting the door behind the both of you and locking it. You looked at him, the only light illuminating you both from the moon from the windows.

“Do you remember when we first met?” he asked, a dopey smile on his face as he looked over the features of yours.

“Oh my gosh,” you groaned, shaking your head embarrassed. “We were in Mrs. Pendleton’s class, right?”

“Yeah,” he scoffed, walking towards you to pull you against his hips. “I told you that you were the cutest girl I had ever met.”

“And I made fun of you for a whole year after your failed attempt at asking me out,” you chuckled, resting your hands on his pectoral muscles.

“But I never gave up,” he said, determination on his brows. “I knew from the moment that I met you that we were supposed to end up together.”

You felt speechless, looking up at him as he continued talking, “Look, I’m usually not one for all of the sappiness and feelings and stuff, but, when I’m with you, none of that matters. It’s just us.”

You smiled, looking down at your feet before chuckling, “If it’s any consolation for your bruised ego, I think that you’re the cutest boy that I’ve ever met.”

Hopper chuckled deep in his chest, bringing a finger up to your chin, “So you _were_ into me.”

“Every day for the past ten years,” you smirked, pressing a kiss to the edge of his mouth. “I’m sorry I was so stupid.”

“I forgive you,” he grinned, nuzzling his face against yours.

You looked up at him and the both of you stared at each other for a moment, taking in the sight of each other as the tension between you grew. Without missing a beat, Hopper grabbed your hips and roughly pressed you up against the chalkboard behind you.

His lips came down onto your mouth hard, his hands squeezing your waist as your arms wrapped around the back of his neck. You moaned into his mouth, and Hopper seized the opportunity to gently guide his tongue alongside yours. You whimpered, the feeling of his mouth making you absolutely dizzy with arousal.

With all the strength he could muster, he reached down and pulled you up by your thighs, your legs wrapping around him as he held you firmly against the chalkboard. The kisses between you contained years of pent-up attraction, tension, and love, now finally being able to physically express yourselves to each other. He breathed heavily into your mouthas you clung onto his shoulders tightly, timidly thrusting your hips up into his.

“Oh shit,” he groaned against your lips, squeezing his eyes shut. 

You could feel him hardening in his suit slacks, and you thrusted your hips up once more, moaning loudly as he pressed up against your center.

“Make love to me,” you whispered against his lips, rolling your hips against his repetitiously, and reveling at the friction he gave to you.

“A-Are you sure?” he asked, his voice tight as he tried to hold himself back.

“Touch me,” you breathed, leading one of his hands up to cup your breast over your dress.

Hopper looked at you like you were a porcelain doll that could break at any moment, and it caused your heart to swell with emotion. No man had ever looked at you the way that he did; you were the love of his life, and he never looked at you as anything less than someone who needed to be cherished. He smiled softly and began to press kisses down your neck, his hand lightly kneading your breast as he slowly rocked his hips into yours.

You whimpered high in your throat, allowing your hands to roam over his chest to unfasten a few more of the buttons on his shirt, now revealing his broad chest.

“You’re so gorgeous,” you muttered, your hand caressing down his chest to tease the treasure trail of hair that led to his groin.

“You’re so soft and beautiful,” he said against your neck.

He reached his hand down to cup your ass, now carrying you towards the professor’s desk, sitting you down on the ledge before kissing your lips once more. Your head filled with a million thoughts, but the most prominent one was how deeply in love you were with him. He filled your mind and your body at the same time, and you were completely captivated by his motions and words. 

He broke the kiss and looked down into your eyes, his hands slowly sliding up your dress and grazing along the inside of your thighs, “Tell me to stop if you don’t want to-”

“-I want to,” you giggled, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Touch me, Jim.”

He gulped loudly, all of the swagger and confidence he had flirting with you all these years suddenly fading away. That’s when it finally made sense to you. It finally clicked.

“…Hopper?” you asked quietly, reaching your finger up to tilt his jaw upwards. “Hop, is…is this your first time?”

He breathed shakily, his cheeks red as he slowly nodded his head. You swallowed thickly before sitting up and pulling your dress down, “Jim, maybe we shouldn’t do this here.”

“No, I… _I want to_ ,” he said, his hands resting on your waist as you looked up at him with earnest eyes.

“Trust me, I want you, too,” you smiled, pressing a reassuring kiss against his lips. “But…do you really want our first time to be in a classroom? You don’t even like spending time in here on a good day.”

He chuckled before hanging his head low, “I just thought, I don’t know…I thought you would think it was hot or something.”

“Hey,” you said, making him look at you. “I think you’re hot, and you know what would be even hotter?”

“Hmm?” he moaned, tilting his head as he looked at you with curious eyes.

“Not getting caught by Mr. Simmons as you fuck me on top of his desk,” you laughed.

Hopper groaned, putting his forehead against your shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

“No,” you cooed, rubbing his neck with your fingers. “Trust me, it’s really hot, but…I think we deserve more than this, don’t you think?”

He looked up at you with a dopey grin, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” you whispered, connecting your lips again. God, you couldn’t get enough of his lips on yours. “Bring me home, Hop.”

He paused above you, concern in his eyes, “You want to go home?”

You smiled and caressed his cheek, “You know what I mean.”

Clarity filled his gaze, a smile following as he helped you off of his desk. He held your hand and walked you out of the classroom, finding the nearest exit and dragging you off towards his car. 

The ride was silent, save for exchanged nervous giggles as you both teased each other. You were headed home.


	8. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a ten-year game of cat and mouse, you and Hopper finally reach the finish line. And, it’s better than you could have ever imagined it.
> 
> Chapter Rating: E (18+)

_You both walked hand-in-hand for what seemed like hours before arriving at Criscow Lake, a small body of water often left untouched near the edge of Hawkins. You and Hopper had walked in silence, your hand squeezing his as a sign of comfort and assurance._

_“I’m really sorry about your mom,” you whispered once the both of you sat down, now looking out onto the lake as it shone under the faint blue light of the moon.  
_

_“I just don’t get it,” he replied, his voice shaky. “I don’t...I just didn’t think I was that bad of a son, y’know?”  
_

_“Hop, she didn’t leave because of you,” you replied, your tone almost pleading with him to search for reason as you turned to him. “You know that, right?”  
_

_“Why else would she have just...left?” he asked hoarsely, a tear beginning to stream down his face as he searched your face for answers, any answers at all. “I get suspended, they catch me graffitiing down town...and then she just leaves me. No note, nothing. Just...air. I’m a piece of shit son-”  
_

_“Stop talking about yourself like that,” you snapped, grabbing his hand. You scooted your body closer to his, motioning for his head to settle on your chest. “Look, I don’t know the exact reason why she left, Hop, but, something is telling me it’s about your father.”  
_

_His body began to shake as he wrapped his arms around your middle, his face nestled atop your breasts as he began to quiver, “Why doesn’t a-anyone love me? Why does everyone just l-leave?”_

_You felt your heart crack in half as you heard the desperation in his voice. You hated both of his parents: his father for constantly spitting abuse at him, and his mother for abandoning her son with no warning._

_“I love you, Jim, and **I’m** not going anywhere,” you whispered into his hair, embracing his shoulders warmly. “You are the most amazing, loving, beautiful person I have ever met, and you deserve so much more than this. I need...I just really need you to know that you’re loved.”  
_

_He sniffled, his neck craning up to look at you as a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, “By you?”_

_“By me,” you confirmed, leaning down to press a reassuring kiss to the top of his forehead.  
_

_You held him closer, the both of you reveling in each other’s warmth and the silent sounds of the forest surrounding you before you broke the silence, “This...this will be our little piece of home, okay? You and I...we’re family. I’m here for you, and you’re here for me.”_

_“Home,” he echoed, his eyes sliding shut as he drifted off to sleep, cradled in each other’s arms until the sun arose the following morning._

〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨〨

His hand gripped onto yours tightly, his palms sweating as you both walked towards the edge of the lake, a light blue blanket draped over his shoulder as you walked in silence. You smiled at him, squeezing his hand reassuringly as you both neared the edge of the water.

“I can’t get over how beautiful this place looks at night,” you sighed, waiting as Hopper laid out the blanket over a patch of dirt.

He slid his jacket off of his arms and placed it on the cloth before beginning to roll his sleeves up, “It’s so peaceful and calm...nothing like Hawkins, y’know?”

You beamed at him before sitting down on the soft fabric, your eyes watching him intently as he joined you. You both looked out at the water silently, the sounds of crickets chirping filling the comfortable silence between you. He slowly reached his hand out to brush against your fingers, causing you to shiver at the intimacy behind his touch.

“I remember the first time you brought me here,” he said, his voice cracking as he tangled his fingers with yours. “I just... _knew_.”

“Knew what?” you asked, tilting your head in curiosity.

“I always had a little crush on you before that night,” he said sheepishly, looking down in his lap as you rubbed your thumb over his hand. “But, that night, I just...I fell so hard in love with you.”

You inhaled sharply through your nose, heart blooming at his sudden display of vulnerability. It was a side of him you had only seen a handful of times in the years you’ve known one another, but it was by far your favorite. 

He gazed up at you as he continued, “I think, for the first time in a long time, I was beginning to see a future. After she left, I didn’t think that love was something that was real, y’know? But you...you showed me what love was. You were that light in the darkness.”

“I love you,” you whispered, reaching your hand up to cup his jaw adoringly.

He nuzzled his face into your touch, closing his eyes before turning to press a sweet kiss to the center of your palm. Your breathing hitched as he continued to kiss up the length of your arm, the warmth and softness of his lips leaving goosebumps in their wake. 

Once he reached the fabric covering your shoulder, he looked up at you with wide and earnest eyes, “You’re the most beautiful girl, y’know that?”

You blushed, you heart skipping a beat as you leaned down and brushed your lips against his softly. His hands traveled up to cradle your face as you hands laid in your lap, your fingers itching to pull him into you. _But that wasn’t what tonight was about_. He pulled away from you slightly, nuzzling his nose against yours as you felt emotion bubble up in your throat, your eyes becoming watery. 

You smiled lightly before pressing a chaste kisses to his lips, murmuring, “Make love to me.”

Hopper’s body froze, his eyes searching your face for any sign of hesitation before he slowly bent down to reconnect your lips. You reached your hands up to brush over his forearms as he continued to deepen the kiss between you. 

As the intensity of his lips increased, you giggled high in your throat, mumbling against his lips, “Slow down, tiger. We have time, okay?”

You gently pushed him away before placing your hands on his chest, rubbing tiny patterns over the material of his dress shirt before fumbling with his buttons. He stared down at you, somewhat still in disbelief that all of this was happening. Ten years of longing and feelings left unsaid had lead to this moment, one that was simply surreal. 

After unfastening the last button, you slowly parted his shirt and felt your mouth go dry, your fingers tracing over the muscles of his torso as a shiver went down Hopper’s spine, “You’re so handsome, Jim.”

He chuckled breathlessly, his nerves seeming to dissipate as you showered him with adoration. He leaned forward to press a lingering kiss to your lips, causing you to become light-headed.

You swallowed thickly, turning your body around before looking over your shoulder nervously, “Can you, um...unzip my dress?”

“Y-Yeah,” he stuttered, his fingers shaking as they reached to drag the zipper down. 

Slowly, the confinement of your dress began to loosen, giving you the green light to lower your dress down to your waist. You looked away bashfully as you pushed it the rest of the way off of your body, leaving you in only a navy bra and matching set of knickers.

“ _Oh_ ,” he gasped, his eyes raking over the exposed curves of your body as they reflected the light of the pale moonlight. 

He shrugged his shirt off of his shoulder and reached for his belt, undoing it with a shaky hand as you laughed, reaching forward to take over for him, “Jim, relax. _Relax_.”

He paused and watched as you undid his pants, a small smile forming on his face before he lifted his hips, giving you room to pull his pants down and off his thick legs. You both sat in front of one another, simply taking in the other’s form. With a hesitant hand, you reached for Hopper’s hand and led him to your chest, cupping your breast over your bra.

“Touch me,” you whispered, slowly reclining yourself against the blanket.

Hopper followed you, nestling himself in between your legs as he began to knead your breast in his hand. You bit your lip when you felt the outline of his length in his boxers press against your thigh, the moment becoming more real with each passing second.

He leaned down, pressing feather-light kisses across the exposed swells of your breasts, causing your stomach to fill to the brim with butterflies. His lips, which were rough and firm, somehow managed to make you feel relaxed and smooth. All you could think was that this was surely what heaven felt like.

His fingers began to play with the straps of your bra, teasingly dragging them up and down before hesitantly reaching behind you to unclasp your garment, dragging it away from your body. 

He inhaled sharply, his eyes drawn to the rosy peaks of your nipples, “ _Gorgeous_.”

He lowered his head, wrapping his lips around a nipple and causing you to arch your back into his touch. You body thrummed to life, sensitive flesh prickling like fire under his body. You had never felt like this, so protected and adored. You could sense the love he felt for you behind the way he held you so gently and kissed across your skin. His care for you transcended all space and time, making you feel like a treasure that was destined to be cherished for him, and _only_ him.

He looked up at you nervously, kissing your breast as his fingers hovered over the hem of your underwear. You nodded eagerly with a grin, reaching down to help him slide them down and off your legs. Once exposed to him and the chill night air, you knew there was no turning back. Every dream you ever had about this moment...well, none of them could compare to this.

He looked down in between your legs with astonishment and wonder in his eyes, his hands trailing up your inner thighs as he licked his lips. Once he reached the apex of your legs, he let his fingers reach out to brush down your parted slit, causing you to gasp at the light sensation against your warm flesh.

“You’re wet,” he said, almost to himself rather than to you. He smiled, looking up at you with mirth in his eyes, “...for me. _You’re mine._ ”

You brought your hand up to cup his cheek before guiding him to bring his lips to your mouth, wrapping your legs around his waist and moaning as your center pressed against stomach. 

He kissed you with fervor, his hands touching and grazing over any piece of skin he could find as you flipped your positions, now straddling his waist and looking down at him with a breathless laugh. You gingerly traced your hands down his body, the warmth of his torso a stark contrast to your cold fingers. 

You hunched over and began to press kisses down his thick neck, paying particular attention to his collarbone as you reached down to pull down his boxers. He shimmied the fabric off of his legs and you finally granted yourself permission to look down, your lips parting as your mouth watered at the sight below you. 

Hopper was a very tall guy; after his last growth spurt, he must have towered over you by at least one foot. While you adored the size difference between you and how protected he made you feel, you never once thought about how his height and stature would translate to other parts of his body. And, _damn_ , did it ever compare.

He noticed your hesitation as you stared at him, immediately beginning to cower, “I’m sorry if it’s not-”

“- _oh my god_ ,” you whispered, you eyes glued to the thick appendage laying on his lower stomach. “You’re so... _big_.”

“Oh,” he said, his voice slightly relieved at your comment. He sat up on his elbows and looked up at you. “I-Is that okay...?”

You looked down at him and realized you had been ogling him for god knows how long. You chuckled shyly, still unable to tear your eyes away, “ _More_ than okay. C-Can I...?”

He swallowed thickly, his eyes glazing over your exposed breasts as he licked his lips and nodded his head, watching you as you lied on your stomach in between his spread legs.

You looked up at him with a smile before tentatively reaching out and grasping his member, causing him to moan at the sensation. You were the only person to ever touch him like this besides himself, and it felt absolutely liberating. A surge of confidence went through you as you pressed a kiss to the tip of his cock, teasing your tongue along the slit there.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” he whispered, falling back to the ground as you put the head of his cock into the velvet heat of your mouth.

You hallowed your cheeks as you massaged underneath the tip with the flat of your tongue. You whimpered around him, the taste of his precum coating your tongue. Your free hand began to rub up and down his thigh soothingly as you released him from your mouth. With your eyes glued to his face, you took the flat of your tongue and licked him from the base of his cock all the way up to the head. You lightly pumped your hand, pressing kisses along the base of his shaft as you watched him writhe on top of the blanket.

With a soft smile, you swallowed around the tip of his cock before sinking down until your nose was pressed firmly against the curls there. He choked out the air he had been holding in, his hand flying downward to tangle your hair in his fingers. You slowly began to bob your head upwards, hallowing your cheeks before slamming your face down once more, developing a rhythm as he slid along your tongue.

“You feel s-so _good_ ,” he sobbed out, his thighs beginning to shake as you smiled around him. 

You released him with an audible pop, knowing that he would come if you continued any further. You would save it for another time. You pressed kisses along his shaft, your tongue swiping messily along his length as you looked up at him, “Jim?”

“Huh?” he whimpered, looking down at you and groaning at the sight.

“You taste good,” you chuckled, smiling against his cock as you began to massage his balls in your fingers.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he hissed, the teasing of your tongue almost becoming too much.

“I want you,” you whispered, pumping his sex in your hand before he looked down at you with a dopey smile.

He sat up, a shiver running through his body as he cupped your face in his hands, kissing you sweetly and humming at the taste of himself on your tongue. He guided you back to your original position, now kneeling in between your legs.

“Do you have a rubber?” you asked breathlessly, rubbing your fingers across his lower abdomen. 

“Oh, yeah, yeah,” he spurted, his cheeks reddening as he reached for his pants’ pocket, retrieving a small, paper container.

“You want me to put it on?” you asked, sitting up and taking the box in your fingers. 

He nodded slowly and watched you with lust-filled eyes as you pulled the condom out of the box, reaching down in between you and rolling it down his shaft.

“Thanks,” he chuckled, running his hand through his gelled hair before cursing under his breath. “Shit, I forgot I had this crap in my hair.”

You giggled, reaching up to tussle his hair even more, “It’s okay. You look even sexier with it messy.”

“Yeah?” he asked teasingly, his swagger somewhat returning and making your chest warm.

“Yeah,” you teased back, pressing your lips together and sliding your tongue into his mouth. 

You both fought for dominance as smiles played on your lips. Hopper slid his tongue into your mouth and you began to suck on it, causing him to falter on top of you, making you both giggle. He pressed kisses up your neck and you sighed, turning his head so that you looked at each other.

With a playful glint in your eyes, you bit your lips and whispered, “You wanna fuck me, Hop?”

He smirked down at you and pressed a chaste kiss to your lips, “As if you even need to ask, doll.”

You spread your legs wider and grabbed around his cock, guiding him to your entrance as you giggled, “I can’t get over how fat your cock is.”

He shivered as his tip nestled in between your folds, “I can’t get over how filthy your mouth is.”

You bit your lower lip and wrapped your legs around his waist, “You don’t like it?”

He chuckled, beginning to push himself inside with a tight voice, “Fucking _love_ it.”

You had only been with three men before him, but none of them could compare to Jim. He was _big_ , and you had never felt more stretched out in your life. You whimpered as he continued to push inside of you, his eyes screwed tightly shut as he focused on not coming instantly.

Once his hips were pressed firmly against yours, you let out a shaky breath before biting his shoulder teasingly, “You feel so _good_ , oh, _fuck_.”

He began to pull out of you, the drag of his cock against your walls causing you to moan loudly against his neck. He began to press sloppy kisses over your collarbone, his thrusts shallow and languid as he attempted to hold himself back.

“You’re so tight, Jesus _fucking_ christ,” he whimpered, his hands gripping your hips impossibly hard as his breath came out in wheezes.

You moved your face to the side so that you were now looking into each other’s eyes, a wicked smile on your face as you felt your pussy flutter over him, “Fuck, Jim. Touch me.”

“Where?” he asked, a smirk playing on his lips as he thrusted deeper inside of you, causing you to scream out.

“Rub my clit,” you pleaded, leading his hand in between you, his fingers now brushing over the bud at the apex of your slit.

You whimpered at the pressure and arched your back, “Right there, _fuck_. Fuck me, Hop. Don’t hold back, _please_.”

It was as if a switch was flipped, his actions moving from gentle to primal in an instant. He lifted your thighs up higher, allowed for him to go deeper inside of you. He returned his attention to your clit and rubbed harder, pummeling into your throbbing cunt harshly with each thrust he exerted. His attention was drawn to how you writhed underneath him, your cheeks rosy red and lips plump from his kisses. Your breasts raised up and down with shaky breaths as you began to thrust your hips back at him.

“I’m _so_ close,” you sobbed as you felt a familiar heat begin to spread from your center.

“Oh, _fuck_ , come for me,” he growled, his hips snapping into you as he quickly rubbed over your clit. “Please, please come for me. Wanna feel you around me when you come, _fuck_ , please, doll.”

Your ears began to ring, your heartbeat thrumming in your ears as the cord within you snapped. You thighs quaked around his body as your walls undulated tightly around his cock. He cursed loudly, his own orgasm ripping through his body as he felt you clench down on him.

The night air filled with the sounds of your coupling, moans and wanton pleas for one another echoing throughout the forest as you came in each other’s arms, trying to chase the sensation as you continued to thrust against one another. After a few moments of heavy breathing, Hopper slumped against your body, slowing removing himself from you and immediately discarding of the rubber, come smeared over his cock as he lied down breathlessly next to you.

“ _Jesus_ , (Y/N),” he breathed, his chest burgeoning from deep breaths as you both looked up at the starry sky.

“Fuck,” you giggled, your body continuing to shiver from the aftershocks shooting through your core. “That was-”

“- _Yeah_ ,” he sighed, chuckling a little in his chest.

You turned onto your side and nestled your face against his neck, his arm wrapping around you as you slotted your leg in between his. 

You held him close as you breathed in his scent, “You know, for a virgin, you’re not so bad.”

“You flatter me,” he growled, reaching down to grab a handful your ass. “Christ, I don’t think I ever wanna stop fucking you.”

You giggled against his chest, rubbing over his nipple slowly, “Trust me, I’m going to jump your ass every time you’re even _near_ me, Hop.”

He groaned in his chest as he felt his cock spring to life once more, “I definitely wanna hear more of that filthy little mouth on you, doll.”

You looked up at him seductively, kissing his chest as you rocked your hips into him, “You like hearing me talk about your thick, fat cock, hmm?”

“Watch it,” he warned. “We’re approaching a curfew and I don’t think I have time to fuck you again the way I want to.”

You cursed, sitting up and beginning to gather your clothes, “First one to get dressed gets head next date.”

“What? That’s not fair, you have a dress!” he exclaimed, grabbing his pants.

“Guess that means you’ll be in between my legs in no time,” you winked, licking your lips as you slid your dress on.

“Not much of a punishment, baby girl,” he chuckled.

The drive home was beautifully quiet, your head rested against his chest as you stole kisses and rubbed his thigh, his arm wrapped tightly around you, as you drove back home.

“I don’t want to leave you,” you pouted as you pulled into the driveway. 

“Me, neither,” he laughed, kissing you deeply, his hands pawing at your sides as you attempted to push him back with a chuckle.

“My parents are gonna be in Michigan next weekend,” you smiled, caressing his cheek as you both unbuckled your seat belts. “You should come over and fuck the girl next door.”

He moaned, “Every boy’s dream, eh?”

“It’s not really a dream for you, though, is it?” you whispered, pressing your lips against his, not being able to get enough of him.

“I’ll be there,” he murmured against your lips, pulling you into him as he pressed kisses over your neck.

Your ass rubbed against the horn on the wheel, shocking the both of you as the loud sound ripped through the quiet suburban air. You gasped before doubling over in a fit of laughter, pressing a final kiss to his lips before opening the door for you both to exit. He helped you out of the car before slamming the door, pushing you against it as he kissed along your jaw.

“Christ, you’re insatiable,” you laughed, arching your neck to give him more access.

“Says the girl who literally almost sucked me off on the drive back here,” he growled, holding you against his chest.

“Didn’t hear any complaints from you. I can just eat you up, _fuck_ ,” you moaned, nuzzling your cheek against his. You quickly pecked his lips before trying to escape his embrace.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked with hopeful eyes, leaning against the car as you walked into your house.

“Definitely,” you smiled, blowing him a kiss before entering your house quietly.

He stood in the driveway, a large smile erupting over his face as he lightly pumped his fist in victory. 

He _finally_ got the girl.

And you _finally_ got the boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this took a long time to come out, but I am very, very happy with the outcome of this. I have never written a love scene that was so detailed and emotional, and I feel like this is what both of the characters deserved after this. I hope that you like it just as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you’ve never read any of the installments of RR, you don’t technically have to read this part. But, it’s been a labor of love, and I would greatly appreciate anyone giving it a little look. The next two chapters are going to be wrapping up the story, and then there will be another multi-fic on the way. ~Robin


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